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.
Jag vände mig, och såg på alla dem som orätt lida under solene; och si, der voro deras tårar, som orätt lida, och hade ingen tröstare; och de, som orätt gjorde, voro alltför mägtige, så att de ingen tröstaro få kunde.
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
Då prisade jag de döda, som allaredo afledne voro, mer än de lefvande, som ännu lif hade;
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.
Och den som ännu icke är till, mer än dem båda, och icke försöker det onda, som under solene sker.
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.
Jag såg på arbete och skickelighet i alla saker; der hatar hvar annan. Det är ock intet annat, än fåfängelighet och bekymmer;
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
Ty en dåre knäpper samman händerna, och fräter sitt kött.
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.”
Bättre är en hand full i rolighet, än båda händerna fulla i mödo och jämmer.
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
Jag vände mig, och såg fåfängelighet under solene.
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.
En är ensam, och icke sjelf annar, och hafver hvarken barn eller syskon; likväl är ingen ände på hans arbete, och hans ögon varda aldrig mätt af rikedomar. För hvem arbetar jag dock, och gör icke mine själ godt? Det är ju ock fåfängelighet, och ondt bekymmer.
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.
Så är nu bättre två än en; ty de hafva dock gagn af deras arbete.
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.
Faller en af dem, så hjelper hans stallbroder honom upp igen. Ve honom, som är allena; faller han, så är ingen annar för handene, som honom upphjelper.
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
Och när två ligga tillhopa, värma de sig; huru kan en ensammer blifva varm?
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].
En kan varda öfvervunnen, men två kunna stå emot; ty ett trefaldt rep går icke lätteliga sönder.
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.
Ett fattigt barn och vist är bättre än en gammal Konung, som en dåre är, och kan icke taga sig vara.
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.
En kommer utaf fängelse till Konungavälde, och en, som i Konungavälde född är, varder fattig.
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
Och jag såg, att alle lefvande under solene vandrade med ett annat barn, som i dess andras stad uppkomma skulle.
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.
Och på folket, som för honom gick, var ingen ände; och de som efter honom gingo, gladdes dock intet vid honom; det är ju ock intet annat, än fåfängelighet och jämmer.
