Ecclesiastes 4
1 And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.
Verti me ad alia, et vidi calumnias, quae sub sole geruntur, et lacrymas innocentium, et neminem consolatorem: nec posse resistere eorum violentiae, cunctorum auxilio destitutos.
2 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
Et laudavi magis mortuos, quam viventes:
3 And better than both of them [is] he who has not yet been, in that he has not seen the evil work that has been done under the sun.
et feliciorem utroque iudicavi, qui necdum natus est, nec vidit mala quae sub sole fiunt.
4 And I have seen all the labor, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbor. Even this [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
Rursum contemplatus sum omnes labores hominum, et industrias animadverti patere invidiae proximi: et in hoc ergo vanitas, et cura superflua est.
5 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
Stultus complicat manus suas, et comedit carnes suas, dicens:
6 “Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labor and distress of spirit.”
Melior est pugillus cum requie, quam plena utraque manus cum labore, et afflictione animi.
7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:
Considerans reperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole:
8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he has not, and there is no end to all his labor! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he does not say], “For whom am I laboring and bereaving my soul of good?” This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
unus est, et secundum non habet, non filium, non fratrem, et tamen laborare non cessat, nec satiantur oculi eius divitiis: nec recogitat, dicens: Cui laboro, et fraudo animam meam bonis? in hoc quoque vanitas est, et afflictio pessima.
9 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labor.
Melius est ergo duos esse simul, quam unum: habent enim emolumentum societatis suae:
10 For if they fall, the one raises up his companion, but woe to the one who falls and there is not a second to raise him up!
si unus ceciderit, ab altero fulcietur. vae soli: quia cum ceciderit, non habet sublevantem se.
11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how has one heat?
Et si dormierint duo, fovebuntur mutuo: unus quomodo calefiet?
12 And if the one strengthens himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Et si quispiam praevaluerit contra unum, duo resistunt ei: funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur.
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who has not known to be warned anymore.
Melior est puer pauper et sapiens, rege sene et stulto, qui nescit praevidere in posterum.
14 For from a house of prisoners he has come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he has been poor.
Quod de carcere, catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum: et alius natus in regno, inopia consumatur.
15 I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who stands in his place;
Vidi cunctos viventes, qui ambulant sub sole cum adolescente secundo, qui consurget pro eo.
16 there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter do not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and distress of spirit.
Infinitus numerus est populi omnium, qui fuerunt ante eum: et qui postea futuri sunt, non laetabuntur in eo. sed et hoc, vanitas et afflictio spiritus.
