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.
J’ai considéré ensuite toutes les oppressions qui se commettent sous le soleil; et voici, les opprimés sont dans les larmes, et personne qui les console! Ils sont en butte à la violence de leurs oppresseurs, et personne qui les console!
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
Et j’ai trouvé les morts qui sont déjà morts plus heureux que les vivants qui sont encore vivants,
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.
et plus heureux que les uns et les autres celui qui n’a point encore existé et qui n’a pas vu les mauvaises actions qui se commettent sous le soleil.
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.
J’ai vu que tout travail et toute habileté dans le travail n’est que jalousie de l’homme à l’égard de son prochain. C’est encore là une vanité et la poursuite du vent.
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
L’insensé se croise les mains, et mange sa propre chair.
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.”
Mieux vaut une main pleine avec repos, que les deux mains pleines avec travail et poursuite du vent.
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
J’ai considéré une autre vanité sous le soleil.
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.
Tel homme est seul et sans personne qui lui tienne de près, il n’a ni fils ni frère, et pourtant son travail n’a point de fin et ses yeux ne sont jamais rassasiés de richesses. Pour qui donc est-ce que je travaille, et que je prive mon âme de jouissances? C’est encore là une vanité et une chose mauvaise.
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.
Deux valent mieux qu’un, parce qu’ils retirent un bon salaire de leur travail.
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.
Car, s’ils tombent, l’un relève son compagnon; mais malheur à celui qui est seul et qui tombe, sans avoir un second pour le relever!
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
De même, si deux couchent ensemble, ils auront chaud; mais celui qui est seul, comment aura-t-il chaud?
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].
Et si quelqu’un est plus fort qu’un seul, les deux peuvent lui résister; et la corde à trois fils ne se rompt pas facilement.
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.
Mieux vaut un enfant pauvre et sage qu’un roi vieux et insensé qui ne sait plus écouter les avis;
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.
car il peut sortir de prison pour régner, et même être né pauvre dans son royaume.
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
J’ai vu tous les vivants qui marchent sous le soleil entourer l’enfant qui devait succéder au roi et régner à sa place.
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.
Il n’y avait point de fin à tout ce peuple, à tous ceux à la tête desquels il était. Et toutefois, ceux qui viendront après ne se réjouiront pas à son sujet. Car c’est encore là une vanité et la poursuite du vent.
