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.
Framleides såg eg på alle dei valdsverk som vert gjorde under soli. Det rann frå deim som leid, og ingen trøysta deim; valdsmenner bruka magt mot deim, og ingen trøysta deim.
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
Då laut eg segja at dei avlidne, dei som alt hadde fenge døy, dei var sælare enn dei livande som endå er i live.
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.
Men sælare enn båe tvo er den som ikkje hev vorte til endå, og som hev sloppe å sjå det vonde verk som folk gjer under soli.
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.
Og eg såg at alt stræv og all dugleik i arbeidet ikkje er anna enn ovund som driv den eine fyre den andre. Det og er fåfengd og jag etter vind.
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
Dåren legg henderne i kross og et sitt eige kjøt.
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.”
Betre ein neve med ro enn båe henderne fulle av møda og jag etter vind.
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
Og endå noko såg eg som er fåfengt under soli:
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.
Det hender at ein mann stend åleine og hev ingen annan med seg, korkje son eller bror; og like vel er det ingen ende på alt strævet hans, og augo hans vert ikkje mette av rikdom. Men kven strævar eg for og neittar meg sjølv det som godt er? Det er fåfengt, og ei leid møda er det.
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.
Tvo er betre farne enn ein, for dei hev god løn for strævet sitt.
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.
Um dei dett, kann den eine reisa upp felagen sin; men usæl er einstødingen som dett og ikkje hev nokon til å reisa seg upp!
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
Likeins når tvo ligg i hop, so vert dei varme, men korleis skal ein verta varm åleine?
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].
Og um nokon kann vinna yver den som er åleine, so kann tvo standa seg imot honom, og tritvinna tråd slit ein ikkje av so snart.
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.
Betre er ein fatig og vis ungdom enn ein gamall og fåvitug konge som ikkje lenger veit å lata seg segja.
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.
For ein slik ungdom steig or fangehuset upp til kongedøme, endå han var fødd i fatigdom i den andre sitt rike.
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
Eg såg alle livande som ferdast under soli fylgja med ungdomen, han den andre som skulde koma i staden for hin.
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.
Det var ingen ende på alt folket, alle dei som han var førar for. Like vel er dei ikkje glade i honom, dei som sidan kom. Nei, det og er fåfengd og jag etter vind.
