Mangangaral 4
1 Minsan inisip ko ang tungkol sa lahat nang pag-uusig na ginagawa sa ilalim ng araw. Pagmasdan ang mga luha ng mga taong inusig. Wala silang taga-aliw. Ang kapangyarihan ay nasa kamay ng kanilang mang-uusig, ngunit walang taga-aliw ang mga taong inuusig.
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 Kaya binabati ko ang mga patay na tao, silang mga namatay na, hindi ang nabubuhay, sila na nanatiling buhay pa.
[So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
3 Subalit, mas mapalad kaysa sa kanilang dalawa ang isang hindi pa nabubuhay, ang isang hindi nakakita ng anumang masamang gawain na ginawa sa ilalim ng araw.
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 Pagkatapos aking nakita na ang bawat paggawa at bawat mahusay na paggawa ay kinaiingitan ng kanilang kapwa. Ito rin ay parang singaw at isang pagtangkang habulin ang hangin.
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 Ang mangmang ay naghahalupkipkip ang kaniyang mga kamay at hindi gumagawa, kaya ang kaniyang pagkain ay kaniyang sariling laman.
Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
6 Ngunit mas mabuti ang isang dakot na pakinabang sa matahimik na gawain kaysa dalawang dakot ng gawain na sinusubukang habulin ang hangin.
[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 Pagkatapos muli kong naisip ang tungkol sa marami pang walang kabuluhan, marami pang naglalahong usok sa ilalim ng araw.
I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
8 Mayroong isang uri ng tao na nag-iisa. Wala siyang kahit na sino, walang anak o kapatid. Walang katapusan ang lahat ng kaniyang gawain, at ang kaniyang mga mata ay hindi nasisiyahan sa pagdami ng kayamanan. Nagtataka siya, “Para kanino ang aking pagbubungkal at inaalis sa sarili ko ang kasiyahan? Ito rin ay usok, isang masamang kalagayan.
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 Ang gawain ng dalawang tao ay mas mabuti kaysa sa isa; sabay silang makikinabang sa isang mainam na kabayaran sa kanilang gawain.
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 Kapag nabuwal ang isa, maaaring ibangon ng isa ang kaniyang kaibigan. Subalit, kalungkutan ang sumusunod sa nag-iisa kapag nabuwal siya kung walang magbabangon sa kaniya.
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 At kung ang dalawa ay magkasamang mahihiga, maaari silang mainitan, ngunit paanong maaaring mainitan ang nag-iisa.
Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
12 Ang isang taong nag-iisa ay maaaring madaig, ngunit maaring mapagtagumpayan ng dalawa ang isang pagsalakay, at ang isang tatlong ikit na lubid ay hindi agad malalagot.
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 Mainam pa ang maging isang mahirap pero matalinong kabataan kaysa sa isang matanda at hangal na haring hindi na marunong makinig sa mga babala.
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 Ito ay totoo kahit maging hari ang kabataang mula sa bilangguan, o kahit ipinanganak siyang mahirap sa kaniyang kaharian.
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 Subalit, nakita ko ang lahat nang nabubuhay at naglilibot sa ilalim ng araw ipinapasailalim ang kanilang mga sarili sa isa pang kabataang tumayo bilang hari.
But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
16 Walang katapusan ang lahat ng taong nais sundin ang bagong hari, pero kalaunan marami sa kanila ay hindi na pupuri sa kaniya. Sigurado ang kalagayang ito ay parang singaw at isang pagtangkang habulin ang hangin.
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.
