¹Ma mõtlesin südames: Olgu, ma teen katset rõõmuga ja naudin seda, mis on hea. Aga vaata, seegi oli tühi töö!

¹I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure”; and behold, this also was vanity.

²Ma ütlesin naerule: 'Hull!' ja rõõmule: 'Mis sellest kasu on?'

²I said of laughter, “It is foolishness”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

³Ma võtsin südames nõuks virgutada oma ihu veiniga - ometi nõnda, et mu süda mind targu juhiks - ja haarata kinni rumalusest, kuni ma näen, mis inimlastel on kasulik teha oma üürikesil elupäevil taeva all.

³I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.

⁴Ma tegin suuri tegusid: ma ehitasin enesele kodasid, istutasin enesele viinamägesid;

⁴I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

⁵ma tegin enesele rohu- ja iluaedu ning istutasin neisse kõiksugu viljapuid.

⁵I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.

⁶Ma tegin enesele veetiike kasvavate metsapuude kastmiseks.

⁶I made myself pools of water, to water from it the forest where trees were reared.

⁷Ma ostsin sulaseid ja teenijaid, ja mul oli oma peres sündinuid; samuti oli mul veiste, lammaste ja kitsede kari, suurem kui kõigil neil, kes enne mind olid Jeruusalemmas olnud.

⁷I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem;

⁸Ma kogusin enesele ka hõbedat ja kulda ning kuningate ja maade varandusi; ma hankisin enesele lauljaid ja lauljannasid, samuti, mis inimlastele on naudinguks: palju naisi.

⁸I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

⁹Ma sain suureks ja ületasin kõik, kes enne mind olid Jeruusalemmas olnud; mulle jäi ka mu tarkus.

⁹So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

¹⁰Ja mida mu silmad iganes himustasid, seda ma ei keelanud neile; ma ei hoidnud oma südant tagasi ühestki rõõmust, sest mu süda tundis rõõmu kogu mu vaevast, ja see oli mu tasu kogu mu vaeva eest.

¹⁰Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.

¹¹Aga kui ma vaatasin kõiki oma tegusid, mis mu käed olid teinud, ja vaeva, mida ma neid tehes olin näinud, vaata, siis oli see kõik tühi töö ja vaimunärimine. Millestki pole kasu päikese all.

¹¹Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

¹²Kui ma pöördusin vaatama tarkust ning meeletust ja sõgedust - sest mida muud teeb see inimene, kes tuleb pärast kuningat, kui sedasama, mida ikka on tehtud -,

¹²I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

¹³siis ma nägin, et tarkus on kasulikum kui meeletus, nõnda nagu valgus on pimedusest kasulikum.

¹³Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

¹⁴Targal on silmad peas, aga alp käib pimeduses. Aga ma mõistsin ka, et see, mis juhtub ühele, juhtub neile kõigile.

¹⁴The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

¹⁵Siis ma mõtlesin südames: See, mis juhtub albile, juhtub ka minule. Aga milleks siis mina olen saanud targemaks kui teised? Ja ma mõtlesin südames, et ka see on tühi töö.

¹⁵Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

¹⁶Sest niihästi targast kui albist ei jää igavest mälestust, kuna tulevasil päevil on kõik juba ammu unustatud. Jah, eks sure tark nagu alpki.

¹⁶For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

¹⁷Siis ma vihkasin elu, sest see, mida päikese all tehakse, oli mu meelest halb. Sest see kõik on tühi töö ja vaimunärimine.

¹⁷So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁸Ja ma vihkasin kogu oma vaeva, mida ma olin näinud päikese all, sellepärast et ma selle pean jätma inimesele, kes tuleb pärast mind.

¹⁸I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

¹⁹Ja kes teabki, on ta tark või alp, aga ta hakkab valitsema kõige üle, milleks mina olen vaeva näinud ja tarkust tarvitanud päikese all. Seegi on tühi töö!

¹⁹Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

²⁰Siis ma mõtlesin ümber ja olin südames meeleheitel kogu selle vaeva pärast, mida ma olin näinud päikese all,

²⁰Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.

²¹sest inimene näeb vaeva tarkuse ja teadmiste ning tubliduse abil, kuid peab ometi kõik jätma osaks inimesele, kes selle kallal ei ole vaeva näinud. Seegi on tühi töö ja väga paha!

²¹For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

²²Sest mis on inimesel kogu oma vaevast ja püüdeist, millega ta ennast vaevab päikese all?

²²For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

²³On ju kõik ta päevad täis valu ja ta töö meelepahanduseks, ta süda ei maga isegi mitte öösel. Seegi on tühi töö!

²³For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

²⁴Ei ole inimesel midagi paremat kui süüa ja juua ja lasta hingel rahuldust tunda oma vaevas. Ma nägin, et seegi on Jumala käest.

²⁴There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

²⁵Sest kes võiks süüa ja kes võiks juua ilma temata?

²⁵For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

²⁶Sest tema annab inimesele, kes temale meeldib, tarkust ja tunnetust ning rõõmu; aga patusele ta annab ülesandeks korjata ja koguda, et seda siis anda sellele, kes Jumalale meeldib. Seegi on tühi töö ja vaimunärimine.

²⁶For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.