Eclesiastés 4
1 Entonces me puse a pensar en todas las formas en que la gente oprime a los demás aquí en la tierra. Miren las lágrimas de los oprimidos: ¡no hay nadie que los consuele! Los poderosos los oprimen, ¡y no hay nadie que los consuele!
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 Felicité a los que ya estaban muertos, porque los muertos están mejor que los que aún viven y son oprimidos.
[So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
3 Pero lo mejor de todo son los que nunca han existido: no han visto las cosas malas que la gente se hace entre sí aquí en la tierra.
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 Observé que toda habilidad en el trabajo proviene de la competencia con los demás. Una vez más, esto es difícil de entender, como tratar de aferrarse al escurridizo viento.
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 Los insensatos se cruzan de brazos y no hacen nada, así que al final se agotan.
Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
6 Es mejor ganar un poco sin estrés que mucho con demasiado estrés y persiguiendo el viento.
[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 Luego me puse a considerar otra cosa aquí en la tierra que también es frustrantemente difícil de entender.
I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
8 ¿Qué pasa con alguien que no tiene familia que le ayude, ni hermano ni hijo, que trabaja todo el tiempo, pero no está satisfecho con el dinero que gana? “¿Para quién estoy trabajando?”, se pregunta. “¿Por qué me impido disfrutar de la vida?”. Una situación así es difícil de explicar: ¡es un negocio malvado!
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 Dos son mejor que uno, pues pueden ayudarse mutuamente en su trabajo.
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 Si uno de ellos se cae, el otro puede ayudarlo a levantarse, pero qué triste es el que se cae y no tiene a nadie que lo ayude a levantarse.
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 Del mismo modo, si dos personas se acuestan juntas, se abrigan mutuamente, pero uno no puede calentarse si está solo.
Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
12 Alguien que lucha contra otra persona puede ganar, pero no si lucha contra dos. Una cuerda hecha de tres hilos no puede romperse rápidamente.
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 Un joven pobre y sabio es mejor que un rey viejo y necio que ya no acepta consejos.
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 Incluso puede salir de la cárcel para reinar sobre su reino, aunque haya nacido pobre.
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 He observado que todos los que están aquí en la tierra siguen al joven que ocupa su lugar.
But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
16 Está rodeado de una multitud de seguidores, pero la siguiente generación no está contenta con él. Esto también ilustra la naturaleza pasajera de la vida cuyo significado es esquivo, como perseguir el viento para comprender.
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.
