Ecclesiastes 4
1 And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.
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 I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
et laudavi magis mortuos quam viventes
3 And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.
et feliciorem utroque iudicavi qui necdum natus est nec vidit mala quae sub sole fiunt
4 And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
rursum contemplatus omnes labores hominum et industrias animadverti patere invidiae proximi et in hoc ergo vanitas et cura superflua est
5 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
stultus conplicat manus suas et comedit carnes suas dicens
6 'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'
melior est pugillus cum requie quam plena utraque manus cum labore et adflictione animi
7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:
considerans repperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole
8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
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 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.
melius ergo est duos simul esse quam unum habent enim emolumentum societatis suae
10 For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but woe to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!
si unus ceciderit ab altero fulcietur vae soli quia cum ruerit non habet sublevantem
11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?
et si dormierint duo fovebuntur mutuo unus quomodo calefiet
12 And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.
et si quispiam praevaluerit contra unum duo resistent ei funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.
melior est puer pauper et sapiens rege sene et stulto qui nescit providere in posterum
14 For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.
quod et de carcere catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum et alius natus in regno inopia consumatur
15 I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;
vidi cunctos viventes qui ambulant sub sole cum adulescente secundo qui consurgit pro eo
16 there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of 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
