¹And I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors comes strength, and they have no comforter.

²And I praised the dead, who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive.

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

⁴And I saw, I, all the toil and all the skill of the work, that it is the jealousy of a man against his neighbor; also this is vapor and a longing of the wind.

⁵The fool clasps his hands and eats his own flesh.

⁶Better is the fullness of a palm of rest than the fullness of two handfuls of toil and a longing for wind.

⁷And I returned and saw vapor under the sun.

⁸There is one, and there is no second; also he has no son and no brother, and there is no end to all his toil; also his eye is not satisfied with wealth. And for whom am I a laborer, and making my being lack good? Also this is vapor, and it is an evil occupation.

⁹The two are better than the one, because there is for them a good reward in their toil.

¹⁰For if they fall, the one will raise up his companion; but woe to the one who falls when there is no second to raise him up.

¹¹Also, if two lie down, they will be warm; but for one, how can he be warm?

¹²And if the one overpowers him, the two will stand before him; and a threefold cord is not quickly torn apart.

¹³Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king, who no longer knows how to be warned.

¹⁴For out of the house of those who are bound he went forth to reign; for also in his kingdom he was born poor.

¹⁵I saw all the living who go under the sun, with the second child who will stand under him.

¹⁶There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also the last will not rejoice in him. For this also is vapor and a striving after wind.