¹Verti me ad alia,I turned myself to other things,et vidi calumnias quæ sub sole geruntur,and I saw the false accusations which are carried out under the sun,et lacrimas innocentium,and the tears of the innocent,et neminem consolatorem,and that there was no one to console them;nec posse resistere eorum violentiæ,and that they were not able to withstand their violence,cunctorum auxilio destitutos,being destitute of all help.

¹Verti me ad alia,I turned myself to other things,et vidi calumnias quæ sub sole geruntur,and I saw the false accusations which are carried out under the sun,et lacrimas innocentium,and the tears of the innocent,et neminem consolatorem,and that there was no one to console them;nec posse resistere eorum violentiæ,and that they were not able to withstand their violence,cunctorum auxilio destitutos,being destitute of all help.

²et laudavi magis mortuos quam viventes;And so, I praised the dead more than the living.

²et laudavi magis mortuos quam viventes;And so, I praised the dead more than the living.

³et feliciorem utroque judicavi qui necdum natus est,And happier than both of these, I judged him to be, who has not yet been born,nec vidit mala quæ sub sole fiunt.and who has not yet seen the evils which are done under the sun.

³et feliciorem utroque judicavi qui necdum natus est,And happier than both of these, I judged him to be, who has not yet been born,nec vidit mala quæ sub sole fiunt.and who has not yet seen the evils which are done under the sun.

⁴Rursum contemplatus sum omnes labores hominum,Again, I was contemplating all the labors of men.et industrias animadverti patere invidiæ proximi;And I took notice that their endeavors are open to the envy of their neighbor. And so,et in hoc ergo vanitas et cura superflua est.in this, too, there is emptiness and superfluous anxiety.

⁴Rursum contemplatus sum omnes labores hominum,Again, I was contemplating all the labors of men.et industrias animadverti patere invidiæ proximi;And I took notice that their endeavors are open to the envy of their neighbor. And so,et in hoc ergo vanitas et cura superflua est.in this, too, there is emptiness and superfluous anxiety.

⁵Stultus complicat manus suas,The foolish man folds his hands together,et comedit carnes suas,and he consumes his own flesh,dicens:saying:

⁵Stultus complicat manus suas,The foolish man folds his hands together,et comedit carnes suas,and he consumes his own flesh,dicens:saying:

⁶Melior est pugillus cum requie,“A handful with rest is better than both hands filled with laborsquam plena utraque manus cum labore et afflictione animi.and with affliction of the soul.”

⁶Melior est pugillus cum requie,“A handful with rest is better than both hands filled with laborsquam plena utraque manus cum labore et afflictione animi.and with affliction of the soul.”

⁷Considerans,While considering this,reperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole.I also discovered another vanity under the sun.

⁷Considerans,While considering this,reperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole.I also discovered another vanity under the sun.

⁸Unus est,He is one,et secundum non habet,and he does not have a second:non filium,no son,non fratrem,no brother.et tamen laborare non cessat,And yet he does not cease to labor,nec satiantur oculi ejus divitiis;nor are his eyes satisfied with wealth,nec recogitat,nor does he reflect,dicens:saying:Cui laboro,“For whom do I labor and cheat my soul of good things?”et fraudo animam meam bonis?In this,In hoc quoque vanitas esttoo,et afflictio pessima.is emptiness and a most burdensome affliction.

⁸Unus est,He is one,et secundum non habet,and he does not have a second:non filium,no son,non fratrem,no brother.et tamen laborare non cessat,And yet he does not cease to labor,nec satiantur oculi ejus divitiis;nor are his eyes satisfied with wealth,nec recogitat,nor does he reflect,dicens:saying:Cui laboro,“For whom do I labor and cheat my soul of good things?”et fraudo animam meam bonis?In this,In hoc quoque vanitas esttoo,et afflictio pessima.is emptiness and a most burdensome affliction.

⁹Melius est ergo duos esse simul quam unum;Therefore, it is better for two to be together, than for one to be alone.habent enim emolumentum societatis suæ.For they have the advantage of their companionship.

⁹Melius est ergo duos esse simul quam unum;Therefore, it is better for two to be together, than for one to be alone.habent enim emolumentum societatis suæ.For they have the advantage of their companionship.

¹⁰Si unus ceciderit,If one falls,ab altero fulcietur.he shall be supported by the other.Væ soli,Woe to one who is alone.quia cum ceciderit,For when he falls,non habet sublevantem se.he has no one to lift him up.

¹⁰Si unus ceciderit,If one falls,ab altero fulcietur.he shall be supported by the other.Væ soli,Woe to one who is alone.quia cum ceciderit,For when he falls,non habet sublevantem se.he has no one to lift him up.

¹¹Et si dormierint duo,And if two are sleeping,fovebuntur mutuo;they warm one another.unus quomodo calefiet?How can one person alone be warmed?

¹¹Et si dormierint duo,And if two are sleeping,fovebuntur mutuo;they warm one another.unus quomodo calefiet?How can one person alone be warmed?

¹²Et si quispiam prævaluerit contra unum,And if a man can prevail against one,duo resistunt ei;two may withstand him,funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur.and a threefold cord is broken with difficulty.

¹²Et si quispiam prævaluerit contra unum,And if a man can prevail against one,duo resistunt ei;two may withstand him,funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur.and a threefold cord is broken with difficulty.

¹³Melior est puer pauperBetter is a boy,et sapiens,poor and wise,rege senethan a king,et stulto,old and foolish,qui nescit prævidere in posterum.who does not know to look ahead for the sake of posterity.

¹³Melior est puer pauperBetter is a boy,et sapiens,poor and wise,rege senethan a king,et stulto,old and foolish,qui nescit prævidere in posterum.who does not know to look ahead for the sake of posterity.

¹⁴Quod de carcere catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum;For sometimes, one goes forth from prison and chains, to a kingdom,et alius,while another,natus in regno,born to kingly power,inopia consumatur.is consumed by need.

¹⁴Quod de carcere catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum;For sometimes, one goes forth from prison and chains, to a kingdom,et alius,while another,natus in regno,born to kingly power,inopia consumatur.is consumed by need.

¹⁵Vidi cunctos viventes qui ambulant sub sole cum adolescente secundo,I saw all the living who are walking under the sun, and I saw the next generation,qui consurget pro eo.who shall rise up in their places.

¹⁵Vidi cunctos viventes qui ambulant sub sole cum adolescente secundo,I saw all the living who are walking under the sun, and I saw the next generation,qui consurget pro eo.who shall rise up in their places.

¹⁶Infinitus numerus est populi omnium qui fuerunt ante eum,The number of people, out of all who existed before these, is boundless.et qui postea futuri sunt non lætabuntur in eo;And those who will exist afterwards shall not rejoice in them.sed et hoc vanitas et afflictio spiritus.But this, too, is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit.

¹⁶Infinitus numerus est populi omnium qui fuerunt ante eum,The number of people, out of all who existed before these, is boundless.et qui postea futuri sunt non lætabuntur in eo;And those who will exist afterwards shall not rejoice in them.sed et hoc vanitas et afflictio spiritus.But this, too, is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit.

¹⁷Custodi pedem tuum ingrediens domum Dei,Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God,et appropinqua ut audias.and draw near, so that you may listen.Multo enim melior est obedientia quam stultorum victimæ,For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish,qui nesciunt quid faciunt mali.who do not know the evil that they are doing.

¹⁷Custodi pedem tuum ingrediens domum Dei,Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God,et appropinqua ut audias.and draw near, so that you may listen.Multo enim melior est obedientia quam stultorum victimæ,For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish,qui nesciunt quid faciunt mali.who do not know the evil that they are doing.