22AND I SAW THAT THERE NOT [IS] GOOD MORE THAN THAT HE WILL BE HAPPY <THE> HUMANKIND IN WORK<S> HIS FOR THAT [IS] PORTION HIS FOR WHO? WILL HE BRING HIM TO LOOK ON WHATEVER THAT <IT> WILL BE AFTER HIM 22I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?
1AND I RETURNED I AND I SAW <OBJ.> ALL THE OPPRESSION<S> WHICH [WERE BEING] DONE UNDER THE SUN AND THERE! [THE] TEAR[S] OF THE OPPRESSED AND NOT [BELONGED] TO <THE> THEM A COMFORTER AND [WAS] FROM [THE] HAND OF OPPRESSORS THEIR POWER AND THERE NOT [BELONGED] TO <THE> THEM A COMFORTER The Evil of Oppression 1Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.
2AND I CONGRATULATED I <OBJ.> THE DEAD WHO ALREADY THEY HAD DIED MORE THAN THE LIVING WHO THEY [WERE] ALIVE STILL <TOWARDS> 2So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
3AND [IS] GOOD MORE THAN BOTH OF THEM <OBJ.> [ONE] WHO STILL NOT HE HAS BEEN [ONE] WHO NOT HE HAS SEEN <OBJ.> THE ACTIVITY <THE> EVIL WHICH IT IS DONE UNDER THE SUN 3But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
4AND I CONSIDERED I <OBJ.> ALL [THE] TOIL AND <OBJ.> ALL [THE] SKILL OF THE WORK THAT IT [IS] ENVY OF EVERYONE FROM NEIGHBOR HIS ALSO THIS [IS] FUTILITY AND STRIVING OF WIND 4I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
5THE FOOL [IS] FOLDING <OBJ.> HANDS HIS AND [IS] EATING <OBJ.> OWN FLESH HIS 5The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
6[IS] GOOD FULLNESS OF HAND OF QUIETNESS MORE THAN [THE] FULLNESS OF TWO HANDS TOIL AND STRIVING OF WIND 6Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
8THERE [WAS] ONE [PERSON] AND THERE NOT [WAS] A SECOND ALSO A SON AND A BROTHER NOT [BELONGED] TO <THE> HIM AND THERE NOT [WAS] AN END TO ALL TOIL HIS ALSO EYE HIS NOT IT WAS SATISFIED WEALTH AND FOR WHOM? [AM] I A LABORER AND DEPRIVING <OBJ.> SELF MY FROM GOOD ALSO THIS [IS] FUTILITY AND [IS] A TASK OF EVIL IT 8There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile— a miserable task.
9[ARE] GOOD <THE> TWO [PEOPLE] MORE THAN <THE> ONE THAT THERE FOR <THE> THEM [IS] A REWARD GOOD FOR TOIL THEIR 9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
10THAT EXCEPT THEY WILL FALL DOWN THE ONE HE WILL RAISE <OBJ.> COMPANION HIS AND WOE! TO <THE> HIM THE ONE WHO <HE> WILL FALL DOWN AND THERE NOT [IS] A SECOND [PERSON] TO RAISE HIM 10For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!
11ALSO IF THEY WILL LIE DOWN TWO [PEOPLE] AND IT WILL BE WARM TO <THE> THEM AND TO ONE [PERSON] HOW? WILL IT BE WARM 11Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm but how can one keep warm alone?
12AND THOUGH SOMEONE WILL OVERPOWER HIM THE ONE [PERSON] THE TWO [PEOPLE] THEY WILL STAND BEFORE HIM AND THE THREAD <THE> THREEFOLD NOT <IN> QUICKLY IT WILL BE TORN APART 12And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
13[IS] GOOD A YOUTH POOR AND WISE MORE THAN A KING OLD AND A FOOL WHO NOT HE KNOWS TO BE WARNED STILL The Futility of Power 13Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
14FOR FROM [THE] HOUSE OF THE PRISONERS HE CAME OUT TO BECOME KING FOR ALSO IN OWN KINGDOM HIS HE HAD BEEN BORN A POOR [PERSON] 14For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
15I SAW <OBJ.> ALL THE LIVING WHO ARE WALKING ABOUT UNDER THE SUN WITH THE YOUTH <THE> SECOND WHO HE WILL ARISE IN PLACE OF HIM 15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
16THERE NOT [IS] AN END TO ALL THE PEOPLE TO ALL [THOSE] WHOM HE WAS <TO> BEFORE THEM ALSO THE SUBSEQUENT [PEOPLE] NOT THEY WILL REJOICE IN <THE> HIM FOR ALSO THIS [IS] FUTILITY AND A STRIVING OF WIND 16There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.