Ecclesiastes 4
1 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.
我又轉念，見日光之下所行的一切欺壓。看哪，受欺壓的流淚，且無人安慰；欺壓他們的有勢力，也無人安慰他們。
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
因此，我讚歎那早已死的死人，勝過那還活着的活人。
3 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.
並且我以為那未曾生的，就是未見過日光之下惡事的，比這兩等人更強。
4 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.
我又見人為一切的勞碌和各樣靈巧的工作就被鄰舍嫉妒。這也是虛空，也是捕風。
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
愚昧人抱着手，吃自己的肉。
6 [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.”
滿了一把，得享安靜，強如滿了兩把，勞碌捕風。
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
我又轉念，見日光之下有一件虛空的事：
8 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.
有人孤單無二，無子無兄，竟勞碌不息，眼目也不以錢財為足。他說：「我勞勞碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福樂，到底是為誰呢？」這也是虛空，是極重的勞苦。
9 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.
兩個人總比一個人好，因為二人勞碌同得美好的果效。
10 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.
若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人獨睡怎能暖和呢？
12 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].
有人攻勝孤身一人，若有二人便能敵擋他；三股合成的繩子不容易折斷。
13 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.
貧窮而有智慧的少年人勝過年老不肯納諫的愚昧王。
14 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.
這人是從監牢中出來作王，在他國中，生來原是貧窮的。
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
我見日光之下一切行動的活人都隨從那第二位，就是起來代替老王的少年人。
16 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.
他所治理的眾人就是他的百姓，多得無數；在他後來的人尚且不喜悅他。這真是虛空，也是捕風。
