Ecclesiastes 4 WYC
Summary: The Preacher considers the tears of the oppressed who have no comforter and the power on the side of their oppressors, concluding he envies the dead over the living, and the unborn over both, for never having seen the evil done under the sun. He observes that toil is often driven by envy of a neighbor, describes a lonely man who labors endlessly for no one, and famously argues "two are better than one" since they can help each other up and a threefold cord is not quickly broken (v. 9-12). He closes by noting the fickleness of popularity, illustrated by a poor but wise youth who replaces an old, foolish king only to be forgotten in turn.
1I turnede me to othere thingis, and Y siy fals chalengis, that ben don vndur the sunne, and the teeris of innocentis, and no man coumfortour; and that thei forsakun of the help of alle men, moun not ayenstonde the violence of hem.
2And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;
3and Y demyde hym, that was not borun yit, and siy not the yuels that ben don vndur the sunne, to be blisfulere than euer eithir.
4Eft Y bihelde alle the trauelis of men, and bisynesses; and Y perseyuede that tho ben opyn to the enuye of neiybore; and therfor in this is vanyte, and superflu bisynesse.
5A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
6and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
7I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;
8oon is, and he hath not a secounde; not a sone, not a brother; and netheles he ceesith not for to trauele, nether hise iyen ben fillid with richessis; nether he bithenkith, and seith, To whom trauele Y, and disseyue my soule in goodis? In this also is vanyte, and the worste turment.
9Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.
10If oon fallith doun, he schal be vndurset of the tothere; wo to hym that is aloone, for whanne he fallith, he hath noon reisynge him.
11And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?
12And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.
13A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
14For sum tyme a man goith out bothe fro prysoun and chaynes to a rewme; and anothir borun in to a rewme is wastid bi nedynesse.
15I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.
16The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.
17Thou that entrist in to the hous of God, kepe thi foot, and neiye thou for to here; for whi myche betere is obedience than the sacrifices of foolis, that witen not what yuel thei don.
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