Ecclesiastes 4

1 verti me ad alia et vidi calumnias quae sub sole geruntur et lacrimas innocentum et consolatorem neminem 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 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 conplicat 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 adflictione animi

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

7 considerans repperi 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 adflictio 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 ergo est duos simul esse 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 ruerit non habet sublevantem

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 resistent 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 providere 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 et 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 adulescente secundo qui consurgit 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 adflictio 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.—