Ecclesiastes 4
1 Verti me ad alia, et vidi calumnias quæ sub sole geruntur, et lacrimas innocentium, et neminem consolatorem, nec posse resistere eorum violentiæ, cunctorum auxilio destitutos,
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.
2 et laudavi magis mortuos quam viventes;
And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
3 et feliciorem utroque judicavi qui necdum natus est, nec vidit mala quæ sub sole fiunt.
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.
4 Rursum contemplatus sum omnes labores hominum, et industrias animadverti patere invidiæ proximi; et in hoc ergo vanitas et cura superflua est.
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.
5 Stultus complicat manus suas, et comedit carnes suas, dicens:
The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
6 Melior est pugillus cum requie, quam plena utraque manus cum labore et afflictione animi.
'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'
7 Considerans, reperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole.
And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:
8 Unus est, et secundum non habet, non filium, non fratrem, et tamen laborare non cessat, nec satiantur oculi ejus divitiis; nec recogitat, dicens: Cui laboro, et fraudo animam meam bonis? In hoc quoque vanitas est et afflictio pessima.
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.
9 Melius est ergo duos esse simul quam unum; habent enim emolumentum societatis suæ.
The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.
10 Si unus ceciderit, ab altero fulcietur. Væ soli, quia cum ceciderit, non habet sublevantem se.
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!
11 Et si dormierint duo, fovebuntur mutuo; unus quomodo calefiet?
Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?
12 Et si quispiam prævaluerit contra unum, duo resistunt ei; funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur.
And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.
13 Melior est puer pauper et sapiens, rege sene et stulto, qui nescit prævidere in posterum.
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.
14 Quod de carcere catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum; et alius, natus in regno, inopia consumatur.
For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.
15 Vidi cunctos viventes qui ambulant sub sole cum adolescente secundo, qui consurget pro eo.
I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;
16 Infinitus numerus est populi omnium qui fuerunt ante eum, et qui postea futuri sunt non lætabuntur in eo; sed et hoc vanitas et afflictio spiritus.
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.
