| 1 | Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed--and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors--and they have no comforter. | |
| 2 | And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. | |
| 3 | But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. | |
| 4 | And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. | |
| 5 | The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. | |
| 6 | Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. | |
| 7 | Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: | |
| 8 | There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless--a miserable business! | |
| 9 | Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: | |
| 10 | If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! | |
| 11 | Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? | |
| 12 | Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. | |
| 13 | Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning. | |
| 14 | The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. | |
| 15 | I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. | |
| 16 | There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. | |