The crushing under the sun
So I turned again and looked at all the oppression that goes on under the sun. Look at the tears of the oppressed, and there is nobody to comfort them. Power is on the side of their oppressors, and there is nobody to comfort them. So I reckoned the dead, who are already dead, better off than the living, who are still alive. And better off than both is the one who has never been, who hasn't seen the evil work that is done under the sun. Again I considered all the labour and every skilful work, and saw that for this a man is envied by his neighbour. This too is empty and chasing the wind. The fool sits with his hands folded and eats himself away. Better a handful with quiet than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind. Then I turned and saw another empty thing under the sun. There's a man all alone, with no child or brother, yet there is no end to all his work and his eyes are never satisfied with wealth. He never asks, 'Who am I working for, and why am I denying myself anything good?' This too is empty, and a miserable way to live.
So I turned and looked at all the crushing that's done under the sun. And look — the tears of the ones being crushed, and they had nobody to comfort them. And on the side of the ones crushing them there was power, but they had nobody to comfort them. So I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still alive. Yes, better than both of them is the one who hasn't been yet, who hasn't seen the evil work done under the sun. And I looked at all the work and all the right work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbour. This is empty too, and chasing the wind. The fool folds his hands together and eats his own flesh. Better a handful with quiet than both hands full with work and chasing the wind. Then I came back and saw emptiness under the sun. There's one on his own, with no second. Yes, he's got no child or brother. But there's no end to all his work, and his eye isn't satisfied with riches. And he doesn't say: Who am I working for and taking good from my soul? This is empty too. Yes, it's a hard business.
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
So I turned again and looked at all the oppression that goes on under the sun. Look at the tears of the oppressed, and there is nobody to comfort them. Power is on the side of their oppressors, and there is nobody to comfort them.
So I turned and looked at all the crushing that's done under the sun. And look — the tears of the ones being crushed, and they had nobody to comfort them. And on the side of the ones crushing them there was power, but they had nobody to comfort them.
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
So I reckoned the dead, who are already dead, better off than the living, who are still alive.
So I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still alive.
Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
And better off than both is the one who has never been, who hasn't seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Yes, better than both of them is the one who hasn't been yet, who hasn't seen the evil work done under the sun.
Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Again I considered all the labour and every skilful work, and saw that for this a man is envied by his neighbour. This too is empty and chasing the wind.
And I looked at all the work and all the right work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbour. This is empty too, and chasing the wind.
Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
The fool sits with his hands folded and eats himself away.
The fool folds his hands together and eats his own flesh.
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Better a handful with quiet than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.
Better a handful with quiet than both hands full with work and chasing the wind.
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
Then I turned and saw another empty thing under the sun.
Then I came back and saw emptiness under the sun.
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
There's a man all alone, with no child or brother, yet there is no end to all his work and his eyes are never satisfied with wealth. He never asks, 'Who am I working for, and why am I denying myself anything good?' This too is empty, and a miserable way to live.
There's one on his own, with no second. Yes, he's got no child or brother. But there's no end to all his work, and his eye isn't satisfied with riches. And he doesn't say: Who am I working for and taking good from my soul? This is empty too. Yes, it's a hard business.
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
Two are better than one
Two are better than one, because they get a good return for their work. If one of them falls, the other can lift him up. But trouble is coming to the man who is alone when he falls, with nobody there to help him up. And if two lie together they keep warm. But how can one keep warm on his own? And if someone overpowers one man, two can stand up to him. And a cord of three strands isn't quickly broken. Better a poor and wise young man than an old and foolish king who won't be told any more. For out of prison he comes to reign, while the one born in his kingdom becomes poor. I considered all the living who walk under the sun, with the second young man who would stand up in his place. There was no end to all the people, even all those who went before them. Yet those who come after won't rejoice in him either. Surely this too is empty and chasing the wind.
Two are better than one, because they've got a good reward for their work. Because if they fall, one will lift up his mate. But trouble is coming to the one on his own when he falls, because he's got no second to help him up. And if two lie together, then they've got warmth. But how can one be warm on his own? And if one wins against him, two will stand against him. And a cord of three strands isn't quickly broken. A poor and wise child is better than an old and foolish king who won't be warned any more. Because he comes out of prison to reign, though he was born poor in his kingdom. I looked at all the living who walk under the sun, with the second child who'd stand up in his place. There's no end of all the people, of all who've been in front of them. The ones who come after won't celebrate in him either. This is empty too, and chasing the wind.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead. There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Two are better than one, because they get a good return for their work.
Two are better than one, because they've got a good reward for their work.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
If one of them falls, the other can lift him up. But trouble is coming to the man who is alone when he falls, with nobody there to help him up.
Because if they fall, one will lift up his mate. But trouble is coming to the one on his own when he falls, because he's got no second to help him up.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
And if two lie together they keep warm. But how can one keep warm on his own?
And if two lie together, then they've got warmth. But how can one be warm on his own?
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
And if someone overpowers one man, two can stand up to him. And a cord of three strands isn't quickly broken.
And if one wins against him, two will stand against him. And a cord of three strands isn't quickly broken.
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Better a poor and wise young man than an old and foolish king who won't be told any more.
A poor and wise child is better than an old and foolish king who won't be warned any more.
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
For out of prison he comes to reign, while the one born in his kingdom becomes poor.
Because he comes out of prison to reign, though he was born poor in his kingdom.
For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
I considered all the living who walk under the sun, with the second young man who would stand up in his place.
I looked at all the living who walk under the sun, with the second child who'd stand up in his place.
I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
There was no end to all the people, even all those who went before them. Yet those who come after won't rejoice in him either. Surely this too is empty and chasing the wind.
There's no end of all the people, of all who've been in front of them. The ones who come after won't celebrate in him either. This is empty too, and chasing the wind.
There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.