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I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:
I looked at the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no one to comfort them.
Power lay with those who oppressed them;
and they have no one to comfort them.
2 I decided that the dead,
who have already died,
are better off than the living,
who are still alive.
3 But better than both of them
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 toil and all skilful work come about from a man’s envy of his neighbour. This too is futile and a chasing after the wind.
5 The fool folds his arms
and ruins his own flesh.
6 Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil
and a chasing after the wind.
7 Again I saw something else futile under the sun:
8 There is a man all alone;
he has neither sons nor brothers,
yet there is no end to his toil,
and his eyes are never satisfied with his wealth,
so he asks, “For whom am I toiling,
and depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is futile—
it is a miserable situation.
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if either of them falls down,
the one can lift up his companion;
but pity the man who falls
without another 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 by another,
two can defend against him.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
13 Better is a poor but wise youth, than an old and foolish king who no longer takes notice of advice. 14 The youth may have come out of prison to become king, or he may have been born into poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw all the living, who move about under the sun, follow the second youth who replaced the king. 16 There was no end of all the people who have been before them; yet those who will come after will not rejoice in him. This too is futile, a chasing after the wind.