KOHELET 4
Bidegabekeria ugari
1 Hausnartzen ari izan nintzen
eguzkipean zenbat bidegabekeria
egiten den.
Ikusi nituen zapalduen malkoak,
eta kontsolatzailerik ez;
zapaltzaileen eskua
gogor ari zitzaien,
eta kontsolatzailerik ez.t
2 Zori hobekotzat jotzen ditut
hilak biziak baino,t
3 eta biok baino zoriontsuago
jaio ez dena
eta eguzkipean egin ohi diren
okerrak ikusi ez dituena.Lana
4 Ikusi ditut, orobat,
jendearen lan guztiak
eta eginahalen emaitzak:
elkarrentzako bekaizkeriaz
eginak denak.
Hau ere huskeria da
eta haizea atzeman nahia bezalakoa.t
5 Ergela, eskuak tolestatu eta
goseak hiltzen dat.t
6 Hala ere, hobe da esku-hutsik lasai bizi,
esku beterik neketan bainot.
7 Beste zentzugabekeria hau ere
ikusi dut eguzkipean:
8 Demagun
bakarrik bizi dela gizon bat;
ez du lagunik, ez seme-alabarik,
ez anai-arrebarik,
eta, hala ere,
etengabe dihardu lanean,
ez da asetzen aberasteaz,
galdetu ere ez du egiten bere baitan:
«Norentzat ari ote naiz lanean,
neure buruari atseginak ukatuz?»
Horra beste zentzugabekeria
eta lanbide txarra.Elkartasuna
9 Hobe, bi elkarrekin ari izatea
bakarka baino,
elkartze horretatik
etekin hobea aterako baitute.
10 Bietarik bat eroriko balitz,
besteak jasoko luke;
baina urrikalgarri bakarrik dagoena;
eroriko balitz,
ez bailuke izango nork jaso.
11 Orobat, bik, batera lotaratuz,
elkar dute berotuko;
bakarrik dagoena nola berotu?
12 Bati erasotzen diotelarik,
biek eginen dute aurre.
Hiru hariko soka etetea gaitz.Gaztea eta zaharra
13 Hobe, gazte behartsu baina zuhurra,
aholkurik nahi ez duen
errege zahar eta zoroa baino.
14 Zeren gaztea,
noizbait presondegian egona
eta bere herrian behartsu jaioa
izanik ere,
errege-aulkira igo baita,
15 eta zaharraren tokian altxatzen den
gaztearen alde jartzen ikusi dut
eguzkipean dabilen jende guztia ere.
16 Ezin zenbatut ahalako herri baten
buruzagi izan arren,
gerokoak ez dira
harekin ere pozik izanen.
Hau ere huskeria da,
haizea atzeman nahi izatea.tOtoitz egitean
17 Zabiltza arretaz
Jainkoaren etxera sartzean,
hobe duzu entzutera hurbildu,
ergelek egin ohi duten oparia
eskaintzera baino;
ergelek ez baitakite
gaiztakeria baizik egiten.t
Ecclesiastes 4
Evil Oppression on Earth
1 Sots I again consideredt all the oppressiont that continually occurst on earth.t
This is what I saw:t
The oppressedt were in tears,t but no one was comforting them;
no one deliverst them from the power of their oppressors.t
2 So I consideredt those who are dead and gonet
more fortunate than those who are still alive.t
3 But better than both is the one who has not been bornt
and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.t
Labor Motivated by Envy
4 Then I consideredt all the skillful workt that is done:
Surely it is nothing more thant competitiont between one person and another.t
This also is profitless – liket chasing the wind.
5 The fool folds his hands and does no work,t
so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh.t
6 Better is one handful with some rest
than two hands full of toils and chasing the wind.
Labor Motivated by Greed
7 Sot I again consideredt anothert futile thing on earth:t
8 A man who is all alone with no companion,t
he has no children nor siblings;t
yet there is no end to all his toil,
and het is never satisfied with riches.
He laments,t “For whom am I toiling and depriving myselft of pleasure?”t
This also is futile and a burdensome task!t
Labor is Beneficial When Its Rewards Are Shared
9 Two people are better than one,
because they can reapt more benefitt from their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will help his companion up,
but pityt the person who falls down and has no one to help him up.
11 Furthermore, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm,
but how can one person keep warm by himself?
12 Although an assailant may overpowert one person,
two can withstand him.
Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken.
Labor Motivated by Prestige-Seeking
13 A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king
who no longer knows how to receive advice.
14 For he came out of prisont to become king,
even though he had been born poor in what would become hist kingdom.
15 I considered all the living who walk on earth,t
as well as the successort who would ariset in his place.
16 There is no end to all the peoplet nor to the past generations,t
yet future generationst will not rejoice in him.
This also is profitless and liket chasing the wind.