¹Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

¹Aus nimi on parem kui kallis võideõli ja surmapäev on parem kui sünnipäev.

²Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto his heart.

²Parem on minna leinakotta kui pidukotta, sest seal on kõigi inimeste lõpp, ja kes elab, võtku see südamesse!

³Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.

³Parem on meelehärm kui naer, sest kurb nägu on südamele hea.

⁴The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

⁴Tarkade süda on leinakojas, aga alpide süda on rõõmukojas.

⁵Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,

⁵Parem on kuulata targa sõitlust kui alpide laulu.

⁶For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.

⁶Sest otsekui kibuvitste praksumine paja all on albi naer. Seegi on tühi töö.

⁷Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.

⁷Tõesti, rõhumine teeb targa rumalaks ja pistis rikub südant.

⁸Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

⁸Asja lõpp on parem kui selle algus; kannatlikkus on parem kui ülbus.

⁹Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.

⁹Ära lase oma meelt kergesti saada pahaseks, sest pahameel asub alpide põues!

¹⁰Say not thou, `What was it, That the former days were better than these?` For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

¹⁰Ära ütle: 'Miks olid endised ajad paremad kui nüüdsed?' Sest seda sa ei küsi targasti.

¹¹Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.

¹¹Tarkus on niisama hea kui pärisosa, ja kasuks neile, kes päikest näevad.

¹²For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.

¹²Sest tarkuse varjus on nagu raha varjus; aga teadmise kasu on see, et tarkus hoiab elus selle omaniku.

¹³See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

¹³Vaata Jumala tööd: sest kes suudaks õgvendada, mida tema on teinud kõveraks?

¹⁴In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.

¹⁴Heal päeval olgu sul hea meel, ja kurjal päeval mõtle järele: Jumal on teinud nii selle kui teise, et inimene ei teaks, mis tal ees seisab.

¹⁵The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.

¹⁵Kõike olen ma näinud oma tühiseil päevil: õiglane hukkub oma õigluses ja õel elab kaua oma kurjuses.

¹⁶Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

¹⁶Ära ole liiga õiglane ja ära pea ennast väga targaks: miks peaksid ennast hävitama?

¹⁷Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

¹⁷Ära ole liiga õel ja ära ole alp: miks tahad enneaegu surra?

¹⁸[It is] good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.

¹⁸Hea on, kui sa ühest kinni pead ja ka teisest oma kätt lahti ei lase, sest kes Jumalat kardab, pääseb neist kõigist.

¹⁹The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

¹⁹Tarkus annab targale rohkem kindlust kui kümme valitsejat linnas.

²⁰Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

²⁰Sest ükski inimene ei ole maa peal nii õige, et ta teeks ainult head, aga mitte kunagi pattu.

²¹Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.

²¹Ära pane tähele ka mitte kõiki sõnu, mida räägitakse, et sa ei kuuleks, kui su sulane sind sajatab.

²²For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.

²²Sest su süda ju teab, et ka sina oled palju kordi sajatanud teisi.

²³All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,` and it [is] far from me.

²³Seda kõike ma olen tarkusega läbi katsunud. Ma ütlesin: 'Ma saan targemaks', aga see jäi minust kaugele.

²⁴Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?

²⁴See, mis on, on kauge ja sügav, väga sügav. Kes selle leiab?

²⁵I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.

²⁵Ma pöörasin ka oma südame tunnetama ja uurima ning otsima tarkust ja põhjust, ja tunnetama õeluse alpust ja sõgeduse meeletust.

²⁶And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

²⁶Ja ma leidsin, mis on kibedam surmast: naine! Ta on otsekui püünis: ta süda on nagu võrk, ta käed on nagu ahelad. Kes Jumalale meeldib, see pääseb temast, aga patuse püüab ta kinni.

²⁷See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

²⁷Vaata, seda ma olen leidnud, ütleb Koguja, ühte teisega võrreldes, et leida lahendust,

²⁸(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

²⁸mida mu hing veel otsib ega ole leidnud: ma leidsin tuhande hulgast ühe mehe, aga naist ei ole ma nende kõigi hulgast leidnud.

²⁹See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.

²⁹Vaata, ma olen leidnud ainult seda, et Jumal on inimesed loonud ausaks, aga nad ise leiutavad rohkesti riukaid.