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

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.

²Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

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

³Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

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

⁴Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

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

⁵The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.

⁵Bezumnik prekriži ruke i izjeda sebe.

⁶Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.

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

⁷Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

⁷I još jednu opazih ispraznost pod suncem:

⁸There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

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.

⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

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

¹⁰For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.

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

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

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

¹²If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

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

¹³Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.

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

¹⁴For out of prison he came forth to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.

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

¹⁵I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.

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

¹⁶There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

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

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.