¹There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:

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

²A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, 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 doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, `Better than he [is] the untimely birth.`

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 in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,

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

⁵Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.

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

⁶And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

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 soul is not filled.

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

⁸For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who 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 going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

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

¹⁰What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

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

¹¹For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to man?

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

¹²For who knoweth what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is 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?