القراءة بلغتين

ثُمَّ التَفَتُّ فرَأَيتُ جَميعَ المَظالِمِ الَّتي تُرتَكَبُ تَحتَ الشَّمْس وإِذا بِدُموعِ المَظْلومينَ ولا مُعَزِّيَ لَهم وفي أَيدي ظالِميهم قُدرَةٌ ولا مُعَزِّيَ لَهم

فهَنَّأتُ الأَمواتَ الَّذينَ ماتوا ولا الأَحياءَ الَّذينَ لا يَزالونَ أَحْياء

وخَيرٌ مِنهم جَميعًا مَن لو يوجَدْ حَتَّى الآن لِأَنَّه لم يَرَ العَمَلَ الشِّرِّيرَ الَّذي يُعمَلُ تَحتَ الشَّمْس

ورَأَيتُ أَنَّ كُلَّ التَّعَبِ وكُلَّ نَجاحِ العَمَل إِنَّما هو حَسَدُ الإِنسانِ لِقَريبِه: هٰذا أَيضًا باطِلٌ وسَعْيٌ وراءَ الرِّيح

الجاهِلُ يَتَكَتَّفُ ويأكُلُ لَحمَه

مِلءُ كَفٍّ راحةً خَيرٌ مِن مِلءِ كَفَّينِ تَعَبًا في السَّعْيِ وَراءَ الرِّيح

ثُمَّ التَفَتُّ فرَأَيتُ باطِلًا آخَرَ تَحتَ الشَّمْس

واحِدًا لَيسَ لَه ثانٍ، لَا ٱبنٌ ولا أَخ ولا نِهايَةَ لِكُلِّ تَعَبِه ولا تَشبَعُ عَيناه مِنَ الغِنى: «لِمَن أَتعَبُ وأَحرِمُ نَفْسيَ الهَناء؟» هٰذا أَيضًا باطِلٌ وأَمرٌ سَيِّئ

إِثْنانِ خَيرٌ مِن واحِد لِأَنَّ لَهما خَيرَ جَزاءٍ عن تَعَبِهما

إِذا سَقَطَ أَحَدُهما أَنهَضَه صاحِبُه والوَيلُ لِمَن هو وَحدَه فسَقَط إِذ لَيسَ هُناكَ آخَرُ يُنهِضُه

وكذٰلك إِذا ٱضطَجَعَ ٱثْنانِ كانَ لَهما دِفْءٌ أَمَّا الواحِدُ فكَيفَ يَدْفأ؟

وإِن كانَ أَحَدٌ يَغلِبُ واحِدًا فإِنَّ الِٱثنَينِ يُقاوِمانِه والخَيطُ المُثَلَّثُ لا يَنقَطِعُ سَريعًا

وَلَدٌ مِسْكينٌ وحَكيم خَيرٌ مِن مَلِكٍ شَيخٍ وجاهِلٍ لا يَقبَلُ التَّنبيه

حَتَّى ولَو خَرَجَ مِنَ السِّجنِ إِلى المُلْك ووُلِدَ في المُلْكِ فَقيرًا

فإِنِّي أَرى جَميعَ الأَحْياءِ الَّذينَ يَمْشونَ تَحتَ الشَّمس مع الوَلَدِ الثَّاني القائِمِ مَقامَه

ولا حَدَّ لِكُلِّ الشَّعْبِ لِجَميعِ الواقِفينَ بَينَ يَدَيه. لٰكِنَّ خُلَفاءَه لا يَفرَحونَ به: هٰذا أَيضًا باطِلٌ وسَعْيٌ وَراءَ الرِّيح

إِحتَرِزْ لِقَدَمَيكَ إِذا أَقبَلتَ إِلى بَيتِ الله فإِنَّ الِٱقتِرابَ لِلٱستِماع خَيرٌ مِن تَقْديمِ ذَبيحَةِ الجُهَّالِ الَّذينَ لا يَعرِفونَ أَنَّهم يَصنَعونَ الشَّرّ

Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.

Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.

Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.

Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?

If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.

For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.

I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.