Ecclesiastes 4

1 Verti me ad alia, et vidi calumnias, quae sub sole geruntur, et lacrymas innocentium, et neminem consolatorem: nec posse resistere eorum violentiae, cunctorum auxilio destitutos.

And I turned about, and beheld all the oppressed that are made so under the sun: and, behold, there are the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors they suffer violence; and they have no comforter.

2 Et laudavi magis mortuos, quam viventes:

Thereupon praised I the dead that are already dead, more than the living who are still alive;

3 et feliciorem utroque iudicavi, qui necdum natus est, nec vidit mala quae sub sole fiunt.

And as happier than both of them, him who hath not yet come into being, who hath not seen the evil-doing that is done under the sun.—

4 Rursum contemplatus sum omnes labores hominum, et industrias animadverti patere invidiae proximi: et in hoc ergo vanitas, et cura superflua est.

Again, I beheld all the toil, and all the energy in doing, that it is [from] the envy of one man of his neighbor. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.

5 Stultus complicat manus suas, et comedit carnes suas, dicens:

The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

6 Melior est pugillus cum requie, quam plena utraque manus cum labore, et afflictione animi.

Better is a handful of quiet, than both the hands full of toil and torture of spirit.

7 Considerans reperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole:

Then I turned about, and I saw a vanity under the sun.

8 unus est, et secundum non habet, non filium, non fratrem, et tamen laborare non cessat, nec satiantur oculi eius divitiis: nec recogitat, dicens: Cui laboro, et fraudo animam meam bonis? in hoc quoque vanitas est, et afflictio pessima.

There is one alone, and he hath not a companion; yea, he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end to all his toil; his eye also is not satisfied with riches. Yet for whom do I toil, and deprive my soul of good? Also this is vanity, yea, it is a bad employment.

9 Melius est ergo duos esse simul, quam unum: habent enim emolumentum societatis suae:

Two are better than one; because they will have a good reward for their toil.

10 si unus ceciderit, ab altero fulcietur. vae soli: quia cum ceciderit, non habet sublevantem se.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to the single one that falleth; for he hath no companion to lift him up.

11 Et si dormierint duo, fovebuntur mutuo: unus quomodo calefiet?

Also, if two lie together, then will they become warm; but how can one person alone become warm?

12 Et si quispiam praevaluerit contra unum, duo resistunt ei: funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur.

And if a man could overpower him, the single one, two would stand up against him: and a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn asunder.

13 Melior est puer pauper et sapiens, rege sene et stulto, qui nescit praevidere in posterum.

Better is a poor and a wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to be admonished any more.

14 Quod de carcere, catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum: et alius natus in regno, inopia consumatur.

For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.

15 Vidi cunctos viventes, qui ambulant sub sole cum adolescente secundo, qui consurget pro eo.

I have seen all the living who walk under the sun, being with the second child that is to stand up in his stead.

16 Infinitus numerus est populi omnium, qui fuerunt ante eum: et qui postea futuri sunt, non laetabuntur in eo. sed et hoc, vanitas et afflictio spiritus.

There was no end to all the people, [belonging] to all that have been before them: they also that come after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a torture of the spirit.—