Ecclésiaste 4
1 Je me suis tourné vers d’autres choses, et j’ai vu les oppressions qui se font sous le soleil, et les larmes des innocents que personne ne console: j’ai vu qu’ils ne peuvent résister à la violence des oppresseurs, étant destitués du secours de tous.
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’ai loué les morts plus que les vivants;
[So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
3 Et j’ai jugé plus heureux que les uns et les autres, celui qui n’est pas encore né, et qui n’a pas vu les maux qui se font 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 De nouveau j’ai contemplé tous les travaux des hommes; et j’ai vu que l’industrie est exposée à l’envie du prochain: et en cela donc est vanité et soin superflu.
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 L’insensé met ses mains l’une dans l’autre, et mange ses chairs, disant:
Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
6 Mieux vaut une poignée avec le repos, que les deux mains pleines avec le travail et l’affliction d’esprit.
[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 Considérant, j’ai trouvé encore une autre vanité sous le soleil:
I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
8 Tel est seul et n’a pas un second, ni fils, ni frère, et cependant il ne cesse de travailler, et ses yeux ne se rassasient pas de richesses; et il ne réfléchit pas, et il ne dit pas: Pour qui est-ce que je travaille? pour qui est-ce que je prive mon âme des biens? En cela aussi est vanité, et une affliction très malheureuse.
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 Mieux vaut donc être deux ensemble, que d’être seul; car ils ont l’avantage de leur société;
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 tombe, il sera soutenu par l’autre. Malheur à celui qui est seul! Parce que, lorsqu’il tombe, il n’a pas qui le relève.
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 Et s’ils dorment deux, ils s’échaufferont mutuellement: un seul, comment s’échauffera-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 quelqu’un prévaut contre un seul, deux lui résistent: un cordon triple est difficilement rompu.
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 Vaut mieux un enfant pauvre et sage, qu’un roi vieux et insensé qui ne sait pas prévoir pour l’avenir.
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 Parce que quelquefois, tel sort de la prison et des chaînes pour régner: tel autre, né dans la royauté, se consume dans une extrême pauvreté.
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 tous les vivants qui marchent sous le soleil avec le second jeune homme qui se lèvera à sa place.
But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
16 Il est infini, le nombre du peuple de tous ceux qui ont été avant lui; et ceux qui doivent venir après ne se réjouiront pas en lui; mais cela aussi est vanité et affliction d’esprit.
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.
