4¹ And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors 'is' power, and they have no comforter. ² And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive. ³ And better than both of them 'is' he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.

⁴ And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this 'is' vanity and vexation of spirit. ⁵ The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh: ⁶ 'Better 'is' a handful 'with' quietness, than two handfuls 'with' labour and vexation of spirit.'

⁷ And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun: ⁸ There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and 'he saith not', 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail. ⁹ The two 'are' better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour. ¹⁰ For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but wo to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up! ¹¹ Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat? ¹² And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.

¹³ Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more. ¹⁴ For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor. ¹⁵ I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place; ¹⁶ there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

The Folly of Rash Vows

5¹ Keep thy feet when thou goest unto a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil. ² Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few. ³ For the dream hath come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.

⁴ When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest—complete. ⁵ Better that thou do not vow, than that thou dost vow and dost not complete. ⁶ Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that 'it 'is' an error,' why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands? ⁷ For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God.

The Vanity of Life

⁸ If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness thou seest in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones 'are' over them.

⁹ And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served. ¹⁰ Whoso is loving silver is not satisfied 'with' silver, nor he who is in love with stores 'with' increase. Even this 'is' vanity. ¹¹ In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit 'is' to its possessor except the sight of his eyes? ¹² Sweet 'is' the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep. ¹³ There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil. ¹⁴ And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand! ¹⁵ As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand. ¹⁶ And this also 'is' a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage 'is' to him who laboureth for wind? ¹⁷ Also all his days in darkness he consumeth, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.

¹⁸ Lo, that which I have seen: 'It is' good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it 'is' his portion. ¹⁹ Every man also to whom God hath given wealth and riches, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is a gift of God. ²⁰ For he doth not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.

6¹ There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it 'is' great on man: ² A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this 'is' vanity, and it 'is' an evil disease. ³ If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he 'is' the untimely birth.' ⁴ For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered, ⁵ Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that. ⁶ And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

⁷ All the labour of man 'is' for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled. ⁸ For what advantage 'is' to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living? ⁹ Better 'is' the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also 'is' vanity and vexation of spirit. ¹⁰ What 'is' that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it 'is' man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

¹¹ For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage 'is' to man? ¹² For who knoweth what 'is' good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?

Paul's Thorn in the Flesh

12¹ To boast, really, is not profitable for me, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. ² I have known a man in Christ, fourteen years ago—whether in the body I have not known, whether out of the body I have not known, God hath known—such an one being caught away unto the third heaven; ³ and I have known such a man—whether in the body, whether out of the body, I have not known, God hath known,— ⁴ that he was caught away to the paradise, and heard unutterable sayings, that it is not possible for man to speak. ⁵ Of such an one I will boast, and of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities, ⁶ for if I may wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for truth I will say; but I forebear, lest any one in regard to me may think anything above what he doth see me, or doth hear anything of me; ⁷ and that by the exceeding greatness of the revelations I might not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of the Adversary, that he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted overmuch. ⁸ Concerning this thing thrice the Lord did I call upon, that it might depart from me, ⁹ and He said to me, 'Sufficient for thee is My grace, for My power in infirmity is perfected;' most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of the Christ may rest on me: ¹⁰ wherefore I am well pleased in infirmities, in damages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses—for Christ; for whenever I am infirm, then I am powerful;

¹¹ I have become a fool—boasting; ye—ye did compel me; for I ought by you to have been commended, for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles—even if I am nothing. ¹² The signs, indeed, of the apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds, ¹³ for what is there in which ye were inferior to the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this injustice!

Paul Plans a Third Visit

¹⁴ Lo, a third time I am ready to come unto you, and I will not be a burden to you, for I seek not yours, but you, for the children ought not for the parents to lay up, but the parents for the children, ¹⁵ and I most gladly will spend and be entirely spent for your souls, even if, more abundantly loving you, less I am loved. ¹⁶ And be it 'so', I—I did not burden you, but being crafty, with guile I did take you; ¹⁷ any one of those whom I have sent unto you—by him did I take advantage of you? ¹⁸ I entreated Titus, and did send with 'him' the brother; did Titus take advantage of you? in the same spirit did we not walk?—did we not in the same steps? ¹⁹ Again, think ye that to you we are making defence? before God in Christ do we speak; and the all things, beloved, 'are' for your up-building, ²⁰ for I fear lest, having come, not such as I wish I may find you, and I—I may be found by you such as ye do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, evil-speakings, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections, ²¹ lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.