¹Opet stadoh promatrati sva nasilja koja se čine pod suncem, i gle, suze potlačenih, i nikog nema da ih utre; i nasilje iz tlačiteljske ruke, a zaštitnika niotkuda.

¹And I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors was power, and they had no comforter.

²Zato sretnima smatram mrtve koji su već pomrli; sretniji su od živih što još žive.

²Then I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive;

³A od obojih je sretniji onaj koji još nije postao, koji nije vidio zlih djela što se čine pod suncem.

³and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

⁴Nadalje iskusih da svaki napor i svaki uspjeh pribavlja čovjeku zavist njegova bližnjeg. I to je ispraznost i pusta tlapnja.

⁴And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

⁵Bezumnik prekriži ruke i izjeda sebe.

⁵The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

⁶Bolja je puna šaka u miru nego obje pregršti mučna rada i puste tlapnje.

⁶Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

⁷I još jednu opazih ispraznost pod suncem:

⁷And I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

⁸Čovjek potpun samac - bez sina, bez brata, i opet nema kraja njegovu trudu; oči mu se ne mogu nasititi blaga; a ne misli: za koga se mučim i uskraćujem dobro sebi? I to je ispraznost i zla briga.

⁸There is one [alone] and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.

⁹Bolje je dvojici nego jednome, jer imaju bolju plaću za svoj trud.

⁹Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

¹⁰Padne li jedan, drugi će ga podići; a teško jednomu! Ako padne, nema nikoga da ga podigne.

¹⁰For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

¹¹Pa ako se i spava udvoje, toplije je; a kako će se samac zagrijati?

¹¹Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one alone be warm?

¹²I ako tko udari na jednoga, dvojica će mu se oprijeti; i trostruko se uže ne kida brzo.

¹²And if a [man] overpower the one, the two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³Bolji je mladić siromašan a mudar nego kralj star a lud, koji više ne zna za savjet.

¹³Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.

¹⁴Jer mladić može izići iz tamnice i postati kraljem, iako se rodio kao prosjak u svom kraljevstvu.

¹⁴For out of the prison-house he came forth to reign, although he was born poor in his kingdom.

¹⁵Opazih kako svi koji žive i hode pod suncem pristaju uz mladića, uz nastupnika koji ga naslijedi.

¹⁵I saw all the living that walk under the sun, with the child, the second, that should stand up in his stead.

¹⁶On stupa na čelo bezbrojnih podanika i kasniji se naraštaji ne mogahu zbog njega radovati. I to je zacijelo ispraznost i pusta tlapnja.

¹⁶[There is] no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.

¹⁷Kad odlaziš u Božji dom, pazi na korake svoje. Priđi da mogneš čuti - žrtva je valjanija nego prinos luđaka, jer oni i ne znaju da čine zlo.