Eclesiastes 4
1 Maminsan manen pinanunotko ti maipapan kadagiti amin a panangidadanes a maar-aramid iti baba ti init. Kitaem dagiti lua dagiti naidadanes a tattao. Awan ti mangliwliwa kadakuada. Ti kinabileg ket adda iti ima dagiti mangidaddadanes kadakuada, ngem awan ti mangliwliwa kadagiti naidadanes a tattao.
Then I turned to consider all the ways people oppress others here on earth. Look at the tears of the oppressed—there's no one to comfort them! Powerful people oppress them, and there's no one to comfort them!
2 Isu a kabkablaawak dagiti natayen a tattao, dagidiay natayen, saan a dagiti agbibiag, dagidiay sibibiag pay laeng.
I congratulated those who were already dead, for the dead are better off than those who are still alive and being oppressed.
3 Nupay kasta, nagasgasat pay ngem kadakuada ti saan pay a nagbiag, ti saan pay a nakakita iti aniaman a kinadakes a maar-aramid iti baba ti init.
But best of all are those who have never existed—they haven't seen the evil things people do to each other here on earth.
4 Ket nakitak nga amin a kinagaed ken amin a batido a trabaho ket nakaigapuan ti panangapal ti kaaruba ti maysa a tao. Alingasaw met laeng daytoy ken panangpadas a mangipastor iti angin.
I observed that every skill in work comes from competition with others. Once again this is hard to understand, like trying to hold on to the elusive wind.
5 Agdalikepkep ti maag ken saan nga agtrabtrabaho, isu a ti bukodna a lasag ti taraonna.
Fools fold their arms and do nothing—so in the end they're all used up.
6 Ngem nasaysayaat ti sangarakem a gunggona iti naulimek a trabaho ngem ti dua a rakem a gunggona iti trabaho a panangpadas a mangipastor iti angin.
It's better to earn a little without stress than a lot with too much stress and chasing after the wind.
7 Ket napanunotko pay ti maipapan iti nakarkaro nga awan serserbina, ti apagbiit nga agpukaw nga alingasaw iti baba ti init.
Then I turned to consider something else here on earth that is also frustratingly hard to understand.
8 Adda ti kita ti tao nga agbibiag nga agmaymaysa. Awan a pulos ti kaduana, awan anakna a lalaki wenno kabsatna a lalaki. Awan pulos ti pagpatinggaan dagiti amin a trabahona, ken saan a mapmapnek dagiti matana iti panaggungun-od iti kinabaknang. Agsidsiddaaw isuna, “Siasino ti agnumar iti pagbanbannogak ken pangpawpawilak iti bagik iti ragsak?” Alingasaw met laeng daytoy, saan a napintas a pagteng.
What about someone who has no family to help him, no brother or son, who works all the time, but isn't satisfied with the money he makes. “Who am I working for?” he asks himself. “Why am I preventing myself from enjoying life?” Such a situation is hard to explain—it's an evil business!
9 Nasaysayaat ti dua a tao nga agtrabaho ngem ti agmaymaysa; makaurnongda a dua iti nasayaat a bayad ti nagbannoganda.
Two are better than one, for they can help each other in their work.
10 Ta no matumba ti maysa, mabalin a bangunen ti maysa pay ti gayyemna. Nupay kasta, panagladingit ti sumursurot iti agmaymaysa no matumba isuna no awan ti siasinoman a mangbangon kenkuana.
If one of them falls down, the other can help them up, but how sad it is for someone who falls down and doesn't have anyone to help them up.
11 Ken no agabay nga agidda ti dua, mabalin a bumarada, ngem kasano a pumudot ti agmaymaysa?
In the same way, if two people lie down together, they keep each other warm, but you can't keep yourself warm if you're alone.
12 Ti tao nga agmaymaysa ket maparukma, ngem kabaelan a sarangten ti dua a tao ti panangraut, ken saan a nalaka a mapugsat ti tali nga adda tallo a linabagna.
Someone fighting against one other person may win, but not if they are fighting against two. A cord made of three strands can't be torn apart quickly.
13 Nasaysayaat ti agbalin a nakurapay ngem masirib a baro ngem ti nataengan ken maag nga ari a saannan nga ammo ti dumngeg kadagiti ballaag.
A poor young person who's wise is better than an old and foolish king who no longer accepts advice.
14 Pudno daytoy uray no ti maysa a baro ket agbalin nga ari manipud iti pagbaludan, wenno uray no naiyanak isuna a marigrigat iti pagarianna.
He may even come out of prison to reign over his kingdom, even though he was born poor.
15 Nupay kasta, nakitak ti tunggal maysa a sibibiag ken magmagna iti aglawlaw iti baba ti init a papaiturayanda dagiti bagbagida iti sabali pay a baro a timmakder a kas ari.
I observed everyone here on earth following the youth who takes his place.
16 Awan ti pagpatinggaan dagiti amin a tattao a mangayat nga agtulnog iti baro nga ari, ngem saan nga agbayag ket adu kadakuada ti saanen a mangdayaw kenkuana. Pudno, daytoy a kasasaad ket alingasaw, ken panangpadas a mangipastor iti angin.
He is surrounded by crowds of supporters, but the next generation isn't happy with him. This also illustrates the passing nature of life whose meaning is elusive, like pursuing the wind for understanding.
