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

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

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!

²a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

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.

³If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

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

⁴for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

⁵Ta pole päikest näinud ega tundnud, ja temale ei saa osaks isegi mitte matust - ometi on tal rohkem rahu kui tollel.

⁵Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.

⁶Isegi kui ta elaks kaks korda tuhat aastat, head ta siiski ei näe - jah, eks kõik lähe ühte paika!

⁶Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?

⁷Kogu inimese vaev on ta oma suu tarvis, ja ometi ei saa isu täis!

⁷All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

⁸Sest mis kasu on albiga võrreldes targal, ja mis on kannatajal sellest, et ta oskab elada elavate ees?

⁸For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

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

⁹Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁰Mis sünnib, on juba ammu määratud; ja on teada, et ta on inimene, ja ei suuda vaielda sellega, kes on temast vägevam.

¹⁰Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.

¹¹Sest mida rohkem on sõnu, seda rohkem on tühisust. Mis kasu on inimesel sellest?

¹¹For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

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?

¹²For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?