1For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.
1Jah, seda kõike ma võtsin oma südamesse ja seda kõike ma selgitasin, et õiged ja targad ning nende teod on Jumala käes, nõndasamuti armastus ja vihkamine; inimesed ei tea midagi, neile võib kõike juhtuda.
2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
2Kõik on ühine kõigile: sama juhtub õigele ja õelale, heale ja kurjale, puhtale ja roojasele, ohverdajale ja sellele, kes ei ohverda; nagu heale, nõnda patusele, nagu vandeandjale, nõnda vandekartjale.
3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.
3See on õnnetuseks kõigele, mis päikese all sünnib; kõigil on ju sama osa. Inimlaste süda on täis kurjust ja neil on nende eluajal südames meeletus, ja siis - surnute juurde!
4For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
4Kuid sellel, kes alles seltsib kõigi elavatega, on veel lootust. Tõesti, elus koer on parem kui surnud lõvi.
5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
5Sest elavad teavad, et nad peavad surema, aga surnud ei tea enam midagi ja neil pole enam palka, sest mälestus neist ununeb.
6As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.
6Niihästi nende armastus kui viha, samuti nende armukadeduski on ammu kadunud ja neil ei ole iialgi enam osa kõigest sellest, mis päikese all sünnib.
7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.
7Mine söö rõõmuga oma leiba ja joo rahuliku südamega oma veini, sest Jumal on juba ammu su teod heaks kiitnud!
8Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil.
8Su riided olgu alati valged ja ärgu puudugu õli su pea peal!
9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun.
9Naudi elu naisega, keda sa armastad, kõigil oma tühise elu päevil, mis sulle on antud päikese all - kõigil oma tühiseil päevil, sest see on su osa elus ja vaevas, mida sa näed päikese all!
10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
10Tee oma jõudu mööda kõike, mida su käsi suudab korda saata, sest surmavallas, kuhu sa lähed, ei ole tööd ega toimetust, tunnetust ega tarkust!
11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
11Taas nägin ma päikese all, et jooks ei olene kärmeist ega sõda sangareist; samuti ei olene leib tarkadest, rikkus mõistlikest ega menu osavaist, vaid aeg ja saatus tabab neid kõiki.
12For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
12Sest inimene ju ei tea oma aega nagu kaladki, keda püütakse kurja võrguga, või nagu paelaga püütavad linnud; nagu neid, nõnda püütakse inimlapsigi kurjal ajal, kui see äkitselt neid tabab.
13I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed great unto me:
13Sedagi tarkust ma nägin päikese all, ja see oli minu meelest suur:
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
14oli väike linn ja selles vähe mehi; suur kuningas tuli selle alla, piiras seda ja ehitas selle vastu suured piiramistornid.
15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
15Seal leidus vaene tark mees, kes oma tarkusega oleks võinud linna päästa; aga ükski inimene ei mõelnud sellele vaesele mehele.
16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
16Siis ma ütlesin: Tarkus on parem kui ramm, aga vaese tarkust põlatakse ja tema sõnu ei võeta kuulda.
17The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
17Tarkade sõnad, mida rahulikult kuuldakse, on paremad kui valitseja karjumine alpide seas.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.
18Tarkus on parem kui sõjariistad, aga üksainus patune rikub palju head.