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.
Entonces volví y vi todas las opresiones que se hacen bajo el sol; y he aquí las lágrimas de los oprimidos, y no tenían consolador; y del lado de sus opresores había poder, pero no tenían consolador.
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
Por eso alabé más a los muertos de larga data que a los vivos que aún viven.
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.
Sí, mejor que ambos es el que aún no ha sido, que no ha visto la mala obra que se hace bajo el sol.
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.
Entonces vi todo el trabajo y los logros que son la envidia del prójimo. También esto es vanidad y afán de viento.
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
El necio junta las manos y se arruina.
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.”
Mejor es un puñado, con tranquilidad, que dos puñados con trabajo y persiguiendo el viento.
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
Entonces volví y vi la vanidad bajo el sol.
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.
Hay uno que está solo, y no tiene ni hijo ni hermano. Todo su trabajo no tiene fin, ni sus ojos están satisfechos con la riqueza. “¿Por quién, pues, me afano y privo a mi alma del goce?” Esto también es vanidad. Sí, es un negocio miserable.
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.
Dos son mejores que uno, porque tienen una buena recompensa por su trabajo.
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.
Porque si caen, el uno levantará a su compañero; pero ¡ay del que esté solo cuando caiga y no tenga otro que lo levante!
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
Asimismo, si dos se acuestan juntos, se calientan; pero ¿cómo puede uno calentarse solo?
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].
Si un hombre prevalece contra uno que está solo, dos lo resistirán; y una cuerda de tres no se rompe rápidamente.
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.
Más vale un joven pobre y sabio que un rey viejo y necio que ya no sabe recibir amonestaciones.
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.
Porque de la cárcel salió para ser rey; sí, hasta en su reino nació pobre.
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
Vi a todos los vivos que andan bajo el sol, que estaban con el joven, el otro, que lo sucedió.
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.
No hubo fin de todo el pueblo, incluso de todos aquellos sobre los que estuvo; sin embargo, los que vienen después no se alegrarán de él. Ciertamente, esto también es vanidad y una persecución del viento.
