Ecclésiaste 4
1 Puis je me mis à observer tous les actes d’oppression qui se commettent sous le soleil: partout des opprimés en larmes et personne pour les consoler! Violentés par la main de leurs tyrans, il n’est personne pour les consoler.
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.
2 Et j’estime plus heureux les morts, qui ont fini leur carrière, que les vivants qui ont prolongé leur existence jusqu’à présent;
[So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
3 mais plus heureux que les uns et les autres, celui qui n’a pas encore vécu, qui n’a pas vu l’œuvre mauvaise qui s’accomplit sous le soleil!
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.
4 Et j’ai observé que le labeur de l’homme et tous ses efforts pour réussir ont pour mobile la jalousie qu’il nourrit contre son prochain; ceci encore est vanité et pâture de vent.
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.
5 Le fou se croise les bras et se nourrit de sa propre substance.
Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
6 Plutôt une simple poignée dans le calme, que d’avoir les mains pleines en peinant et en courant après le vent.
[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.”
7 Je me remis à observer une autre vanité sous le soleil:
I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
8 Voici un homme isolé, sans compagnon, qui n’a même pas de fils ni de frère, et il ne met pas de bornes à son labeur! Ses yeux ne sont jamais rassasiés de richesses. II ne se demande pas: "Pour qui est-ce que je peine? Pour qui refusé-je à mon âme la moindre jouissance?" Encore une vanité et une triste condition!
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.
9 Etre à deux vaut mieux que d’être chacun seul; car c’est tirer un meilleur profit de son travail.
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.
10 Si l’un d’eux tombe, son compagnon pourra le relever; mais si un homme isolé tombe, il n’y a personne d’autre pour le remettre debout.
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.
11 De même, si deux sont couchés ensemble, ils ressentent de la chaleur; mais celui qui est seul, comment se réchauffera-t-il?
Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
12 Et si un agresseur vient les attaquer, ils seront deux pour lui tenir tête; mais un triple lien est encore moins facile à rompre.
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].
13 Mieux vaut un jeune homme pauvre, mais intelligent, qu’un roi vieux et stupide, incapable même d’accueillir encore des conseils.
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.
14 Celui-là sortirait d’une prison pour régner, tandis que celui-ci est né pauvre, quoique revêtu de la dignité royale.
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.
15 J’Ai vu la foule des vivants, qui se meuvent sous le soleil, prendre parti pour ce jeune homme, appelé à monter sur le trône à la place de l’autre.
But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
16 Sans limites est le nombre des gens qu’il traîne à la remorque; en revanche, ceux qui viendront après ne seront guère satisfaits de lui; car tout cela est encore vanité et pâture de vent.
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.
