Ecclesiastes 4
1 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.
verti me ad alia et vidi calumnias quae sub sole geruntur et lacrimas innocentum et consolatorem neminem nec posse resistere eorum violentiae cunctorum auxilio destitutos
2 And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;
et laudavi magis mortuos quam viventes
3 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.
et feliciorem utroque iudicavi qui necdum natus est nec vidit mala quae sub sole fiunt
4 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.
rursum contemplatus omnes labores hominum et industrias animadverti patere invidiae proximi et in hoc ergo vanitas et cura superflua est
5 A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
stultus conplicat manus suas et comedit carnes suas dicens
6 and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
melior est pugillus cum requie quam plena utraque manus cum labore et adflictione animi
7 I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;
considerans repperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole
8 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.
unus est et secundum non habet non filium non fratrem et tamen laborare non cessat nec satiantur oculi eius divitiis nec recogitat dicens cui laboro et fraudo animam meam bonis in hoc quoque vanitas est et adflictio pessima
9 Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.
melius ergo est duos simul esse quam unum habent enim emolumentum societatis suae
10 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.
si unus ceciderit ab altero fulcietur vae soli quia cum ruerit non habet sublevantem
11 And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?
et si dormierint duo fovebuntur mutuo unus quomodo calefiet
12 And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.
et si quispiam praevaluerit contra unum duo resistent ei funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur
13 A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
melior est puer pauper et sapiens rege sene et stulto qui nescit providere in posterum
14 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.
quod et de carcere catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum et alius natus in regno inopia consumatur
15 I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.
vidi cunctos viventes qui ambulant sub sole cum adulescente secundo qui consurgit pro eo
16 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.
infinitus numerus est populi omnium qui fuerunt ante eum et qui postea futuri sunt non laetabuntur in eo sed et hoc vanitas et adflictio spiritus
