1 我又看见日光之下所发生一切欺压的事： 受欺压的流泪， 却无人安慰他们； 欺压他们的， 手里握着权柄， 因此无人安慰受欺压的。 2 我赞叹那已死的人， 胜过那还活着的人。 3 那还没生下来的， 就是还没看过日光之下所行的恶事的， 比这两种人更有福。 4 我看见各样的劳碌和各样精巧的工作， 都是出于人与人彼此的竞争。这也是虚空， 也是捕风。 5 愚昧人抱着手， 吃自己的肉。 6 一掌盛满安宁， 胜过两手抓满劳碌捕风。 7 我又看到日光之下有一件虚空的事。 8 有人孤单无依， 没有儿子， 没有兄弟， 仍劳碌不休， 眼目也不以自己的财富为足。他问： "我劳劳碌碌， 刻薄自己不去享受， 是为谁呢？"这也是虚空， 是劳苦的担子。 9 二人胜过一人， 因为他们一起的劳碌有美好的酬报。 10 如果一个跌倒， 另一个可以把他的同伴扶起来。但一人孤身跌倒， 没有别人把他扶起来， 他就悲惨了。 11 还有， 二人同睡， 就都暖和； 一人独睡， 怎能暖和呢？ 12 有人能制伏孤身一人， 如果有二人就挡得住他。三股合成的绳子， 不容易扯断。 13 贫穷但有智慧的年轻人， 胜过年老不再纳谏的愚昧王。 14 虽然他是从监狱出来， 在自己的国中， 又是出身贫寒， 却起来作王。 15 我看见所有在日光之下行走的活人， 都随从那取代老王的年轻人。 16 所有的人民， 就是他所统治的人民， 多得无数； 然而后来的人却不喜欢他。这实在也是虚空， 也是捕风。

1 And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.2 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.3 And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.4 And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.5 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:6 `Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.`7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], `For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?` This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.9 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.10 For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but wo to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?12 And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.14 For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.15 I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;16 there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.