Ecclesiastes 4
1 Na nga sifilpa liye ma sesuwos puspis ma orek faclu. Mwet uh akkeokyeyuk ac elos tung, ac wangin mwet in kasrelos. Wangin mwet in kasrelos, mweyen ku uh oasr sin mwet akkeokyalos.
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 Nga ke ouiyuk mwet ma misa tari — wo nu selos liki mwet su srakna moul.
[So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
3 Tusruktu elos su soenna isusla ac tia liye ma sesuwos ma nuna orek na faclu, elos pa wo nu se liki na mwet srakna moul, ku mwet misa tari.
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 Nga etala pac lah efu ku mwet uh arulana orekma upa ac suk in usrnguk ma elos oru: mweyen elos aorekmai nu sin sie sin sie. Tusruktu ma inge ma lusrongten — oana ukweyen eng uh.
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 Oasr soakas se fahk mu mwet lalfon uh farpoeni ac sifacna masrinsralyal nwe ke el misa.
Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
6 Sahp ac pwaye, tusruktu ma srisrik yurin sie mwet wi misla, wo liki kafofo ke ma pus, su oana ukweyen eng uh.
[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 Nga liye sie pacna ma lusrongten ke moul faclu.
I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
8 Oasr sie mukul mukena muta. Wangin wen natul, ac wangin pac mwet lel, a el orekma pacl nukewa, ac soenna sun lungse lal ke mwe kasrup ma oan yorol. Ac ma nu sin su orekma upa lal uh, ac efu ku el pilesrala pacl in pwar lal uh? Wangin pac sripa in ouinge — sie ouiya na koluk in moulkinyuk.
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 Mwet luo wo liki mwet se na, mweyen ke eltal tukeni uh eltal akasrui ke orekma laltal.
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 Sie seltal fin ikori, mwet se ngia ac ku in kasrel tulokunulak. A fin mwet se na ac el ikori, ac koluk nu sel mweyen wangin mwet in kasrel.
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 Ke pacl mihsrisr, mwet luo fin tukeni oan eltal ac fusrfusr na, a kom ac fusrfusr fuka kom fin mukena?
Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
12 Mwet se ku in lain mwet se na ac kutangla, tuh el tia ku in kutangla kuiyen mwet luo. Soko sucl ma pipla ke koa tolkwe ac upa in wotla.
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 Sie mwet fusr finne sukasrup a el lalmwetmet, ac wo liki sie tokosra su matu ac lalfon, su srangesr eis kas in kasru
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 mwet fusr sac finne illa liki presin ac akwalyeyukyak nu ke tokosra, oayapa el finne isusla sukasrup in tokosrai uh.
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 Nga nunku ke mwet nukewa su muta fin facl se inge, ac nga akilen lah oasr sie mwet fusr inmasrlolos su ac fah eis acn sin tokosra.
But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
16 Pisen mwet tokosra se inge leumi uh arulana pus, koflana oekyukla, a fwil tokol an tiana srui orekma lal. Ma inge wangin sripa — oana ukweyen eng uh.
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.
