传道书 4
1 我又转念，见日光之下所行的一切欺压。看哪，受欺压的流泪，且无人安慰；欺压他们的有势力，也无人安慰他们。
I turnede me to othere thingis, and Y siy fals chalengis, that ben don vndur the sunne, and the teeris of innocentis, and no man coumfortour; and that thei forsakun of the help of alle men, moun not ayenstonde the violence of hem.
2 因此，我赞叹那早已死的死人，胜过那还活着的活人。
And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;
3 并且我以为那未曾生的，就是未见过日光之下恶事的，比这两等人更强。
and Y demyde hym, that was not borun yit, and siy not the yuels that ben don vndur the sunne, to be blisfulere than euer eithir.
4 我又见人为一切的劳碌和各样灵巧的工作就被邻舍嫉妒。这也是虚空，也是捕风。
Eft Y bihelde alle the trauelis of men, and bisynesses; and Y perseyuede that tho ben opyn to the enuye of neiybore; and therfor in this is vanyte, and superflu bisynesse.
5 愚昧人抱着手，吃自己的肉。
A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
6 满了一把，得享安静，强如满了两把，劳碌捕风。
and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
7 我又转念，见日光之下有一件虚空的事：
I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;
8 有人孤单无二，无子无兄，竟劳碌不息，眼目也不以钱财为足。他说：“我劳劳碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福乐，到底是为谁呢？”这也是虚空，是极重的劳苦。
oon is, and he hath not a secounde; not a sone, not a brother; and netheles he ceesith not for to trauele, nether hise iyen ben fillid with richessis; nether he bithenkith, and seith, To whom trauele Y, and disseyue my soule in goodis? In this also is vanyte, and the worste turment.
9 两个人总比一个人好，因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效。
Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.
10 若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来，这人就有祸了。
If oon fallith doun, he schal be vndurset of the tothere; wo to hym that is aloone, for whanne he fallith, he hath noon reisynge him.
11 再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人独睡怎能暖和呢？
And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?
12 有人攻胜孤身一人，若有二人便能敌挡他；三股合成的绳子不容易折断。
And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.
13 贫穷而有智慧的少年人胜过年老不肯纳谏的愚昧王。
A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
14 这人是从监牢中出来作王，在他国中，生来原是贫穷的。
For sum tyme a man goith out bothe fro prysoun and chaynes to a rewme; and anothir borun in to a rewme is wastid bi nedynesse.
15 我见日光之下一切行动的活人都随从那第二位，就是起来代替老王的少年人。
I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.
16 他所治理的众人就是他的百姓，多得无数；在他后来的人尚且不喜悦他。这真是虚空，也是捕风。
The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.
