Ecclesiastes 4
1 I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
Unya ako mipauli ug nakita ko ang tanan nga mga pagdaugdaug nga ginahimo ilalum sa adlaw: ug ania karon, ang luha niadtong mga dinaugdaug, ug sila walay maglilipay, ug niadtong nanagdaugdaug kanila diha ang gahum, apan sila walay maglilipay.
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
Busa gidayeg ko ang mga nangamatay nga dugay na nga nangamatay labaw kay sa mga buhi nga mga buhi pa;
3 And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
Oo, labi pang maayo kay kanila nga duha, gimahal ko siya nga wala pa matawo, nga wala makakita sa dautang buhat nga ginahimo ilalum sa adlaw.
4 I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.
Unya nakita ko ang tanang buhat ug ang tagsatagsa ka batid nga buhat, nga tungod niini ang tawo pagakasinahan sa iyang isigkatawo. Kini usab kakawangan man ug mao ang paghakop ug hangin.
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
Ang buangbuang nagakiyugpos sa iyang mga kamot, ug nagakaon sa iyang kaugalingon nga unod.
6 [So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”
Labi pang maayo ang usa ka hakop uban ang kalinaw, kay sa duruha ka hakop uban ang kahago ug ang paghakop ug hangin.
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
Unya mipauli ako ug nakita ko ang kakawangan ilalum sa adlaw.
8 There are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.
Adunay usa nga nagainusara, ug siya walay ikaduha; oo, siya walay anak ni igsoon nga lalake; apan wala bay katapusan sa iyang tanan nga kahago, ni matagbaw ang iyang mga mata sa mga bahandi. Alang kang kinsa man diay ako magakabudlay, miingon siya ug magatungina sa akong kalag sa kaayohan? Kini usab kakawangan man, oo, kini mapait nga kasakit.
9 Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
Ang duruha labi pang maayo kay sa usa; kay sila adunay maayong balus sa ilang buhat.
10 If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.
Kay kong sila mangapukan, ang usa magabangon sa iyang kauban: apan alaut kadtong usa ra sa diha nga siya mapukan, ug walay lain nga magabangon kaniya.
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
Ingon man kong ang duruha magatipon sa paghigda, nan sila adunay kainit: apan unsaon sa nagainusara aron makabaton ug kainit?
12 Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].
Ug kong ang usa ka tawo modaug batok niadtong nag-inusara, ang duruha makasukol kaniya; ug ang totolo ka bakokon nga pisi dili madali sa pagkabugto.
13 A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
Labi pang maayo ang usa ka kabus ug masinabuton nga batan-on kay sa usa ka tigulang ug buangbuang nga hari, nga dili na mahibalo nga modawat ug tambag.
14 It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.
Kay gikan sa bilanggoan siya migula aron mahimong hari; oo, bisan pa sa iyang gingharian siya natawo nga kabus.
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
Nakita ko ang tanang mga buhi nga nagalakaw ilalum sa adlaw, nga sila nakauban sa batan-on, ang ikaduha, nga mitindog puli kaniya sa iyang dapit.
16 Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.
Walay katapusan niadtong tanan nga katawohan, bisan pa kanilang tanan nga iyang hing-unhan: ilabina kadtong mosunod dili malipay kaniya. Sa pagkatinuod kini usab kakawangan man ug mao ang paghakop ug hangin.
