¹There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

¹On üks õnnetus, mida ma nägin päikese all, ja see lasub raskesti inimeste peal:

²A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

²Jumal annab mehele rikkust ja vara ja au, nõnda et ta hingel ei puudu midagi kõigest sellest, mida ta himustab, ometi ei luba Jumal teda ennast seda nautida, vaid seda naudib keegi võõras. See on tühi töö ja tõsine kannatus!

³If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

³Kuigi mehele sünniks sada last ja ta elaks palju aastaid, nõnda et ta aastate päevi oleks rohkesti, aga ta hing ei oskaks oma hüvest rahuldust tunda, siis ma ütleksin, et nurisünnitis on õnnelikum kui tema.

⁴For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

⁴Sest see tuleb olematusest ja läheb pimedusse, ja pimedus peidab ta nime.

⁵Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

⁵Ta pole päikest näinud ega tundnud, ja temale ei saa osaks isegi mitte matust - ometi on tal rohkem rahu kui tollel.

⁶Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

⁶Isegi kui ta elaks kaks korda tuhat aastat, head ta siiski ei näe - jah, eks kõik lähe ühte paika!

⁷All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

⁷Kogu inimese vaev on ta oma suu tarvis, ja ometi ei saa isu täis!

⁸For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

⁸Sest mis kasu on albiga võrreldes targal, ja mis on kannatajal sellest, et ta oskab elada elavate ees?

⁹Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

⁹Parem on see, mis silmaga on näha, kui rahuldamata himu. Seegi on tühi töö ja vaimunärimine!

¹⁰That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

¹⁰Mis sünnib, on juba ammu määratud; ja on teada, et ta on inimene, ja ei suuda vaielda sellega, kes on temast vägevam.

¹¹Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

¹¹Sest mida rohkem on sõnu, seda rohkem on tühisust. Mis kasu on inimesel sellest?

¹²For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

¹²Sest kes teab, mis on inimesele hea siin elus, tema tühise elu üürikesil päevil, mida ta veedab varjuna? Sest kes ütleb inimesele, mis pärast teda sünnib päikese all?