Ecclesiastes 4
1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
I turnede me to othere thingis, and Y siy fals chalengis, that ben don vndur the sunne, and the teeris of innocentis, and no man coumfortour; and that thei forsakun of the help of alle men, moun not ayenstonde the violence of hem.
2 Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.
And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;
3 Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
and Y demyde hym, that was not borun yit, and siy not the yuels that ben don vndur the sunne, to be blisfulere than euer eithir.
4 Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Eft Y bihelde alle the trauelis of men, and bisynesses; and Y perseyuede that tho ben opyn to the enuye of neiybore; and therfor in this is vanyte, and superflu bisynesse.
5 The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.
A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.
and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;
8 There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
oon is, and he hath not a secounde; not a sone, not a brother; and netheles he ceesith not for to trauele, nether hise iyen ben fillid with richessis; nether he bithenkith, and seith, To whom trauele Y, and disseyue my soule in goodis? In this also is vanyte, and the worste turment.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
If oon fallith doun, he schal be vndurset of the tothere; wo to hym that is aloone, for whanne he fallith, he hath noon reisynge him.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?
And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?
12 If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.
A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
14 For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
For sum tyme a man goith out bothe fro prysoun and chaynes to a rewme; and anothir borun in to a rewme is wastid bi nedynesse.
15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.
I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.
16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.
