Ecclesiastes 4
1 [Verti me ad alia, et vidi calumnias quæ sub sole geruntur, et lacrimas innocentium, et neminem consolatorem, nec posse resistere eorum violentiæ, cunctorum auxilio destitutos,
Once again I thought about all the oppression that is done under the sun. And behold, the tears of oppressed people, and they had no one to comfort them! Power was in the hand of their oppressors, and there was no one to comfort them!
2 et laudavi magis mortuos quam viventes;
So I considered those who are already dead more fortunate than the living, who are still alive.
3 et feliciorem utroque judicavi qui necdum natus est, nec vidit mala quæ sub sole fiunt.
However, more fortunate than both of them is the one who has not yet lived, the one who has not seen any of the evil acts that are done under the sun.
4 Rursum contemplatus sum omnes labores hominum, et industrias animadverti patere invidiæ proximi; et in hoc ergo vanitas et cura superflua est.
Then I saw that every act of labor and every skillful work became the envy of one's neighbor. This also is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
5 Stultus complicat manus suas, et comedit carnes suas, dicens:
The fool folds his hands and does not work, so his food is his own flesh.
6 Melior est pugillus cum requie, quam plena utraque manus cum labore et afflictione animi.
But better is a handful of profit with quiet work than two handfuls with the work that tries to shepherd the wind.
7 Considerans, reperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole.
Then I thought again about more futility, more vanishing vapor under the sun.
8 Unus est, et secundum non habet, non filium, non fratrem, et tamen laborare non cessat, nec satiantur oculi ejus divitiis; nec recogitat, dicens: Cui laboro, et fraudo animam meam bonis? In hoc quoque vanitas est et afflictio pessima.]
There is the kind of man who is alone. He does not have anyone, no son or brother. There is no end to all his work, and his eyes are not satisfied with gaining wealth. He wonders, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vapor, a bad situation.
9 [Melius est ergo duos esse simul quam unum; habent enim emolumentum societatis suæ.
Two people work better than one; together they can earn a good pay for their labor.
10 Si unus ceciderit, ab altero fulcietur. Væ soli, quia cum ceciderit, non habet sublevantem se.
For if one falls, the other can lift up his friend. However, sorrow follows the one who is alone when he falls if there is no one to lift him up.
11 Et si dormierint duo, fovebuntur mutuo; unus quomodo calefiet?
If two lie down together, they can be warm, but how can one be warm alone?
12 Et si quispiam prævaluerit contra unum, duo resistunt ei; funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur.
One man alone can be overpowered, but two can withstand an attack, and a three-strand rope is not quickly broken.
13 Melior est puer pauper et sapiens, rege sene et stulto, qui nescit prævidere in posterum.
It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to listen to warnings.
14 Quod de carcere catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum; et alius, natus in regno, inopia consumatur.
This is true even if the young man becomes king from prison, or even if he was born poor in his kingdom.
15 Vidi cunctos viventes qui ambulant sub sole cum adolescente secundo, qui consurget pro eo.
I saw everyone who was alive and was walking around under the sun, along with a youth who was to rise up to take his place.
16 Infinitus numerus est populi omnium qui fuerunt ante eum, et qui postea futuri sunt non lætabuntur in eo; sed et hoc vanitas et afflictio spiritus.]
There is no end to all the people who want to obey the new king, but later many of them will no longer praise him. Surely this situation is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
