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

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

²a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien 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 a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover 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 it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;

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

⁵moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather 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, and yet enjoy 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 labor 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 advantage hath the wise more than the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth how 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 also is vanity and a striving after wind.

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

¹⁰Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is know what man is; neither can 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 are 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 [his] 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?