Old/New Testament
4 I turned me to other things, and I saw false challenges, that be done under the sun (and I saw much oppression, that is done under the sun), and the tears of the guiltless, and (that) no man (was a) comforter; and that they destitute, either forsaken, of the help of all men, may not against-stand the violence of them.
2 And I praised more dead men than living men; (And I praised the dead more than the living;)
3 and I deemed him, that was not born yet, and saw not the evils that be done under the sun, to be more blessed than ever either. (and I judged him, who was not yet born, and saw not the evils that be done under the sun, to be more blessed than either the living or the dead.)
4 Again I beheld all the travails of men, and busynesses; and I perceived that those be open to [the] envy of the neighbour; and therefore in this is vanity (and so this is emptiness and futility), and superfluous busyness.
5 A fool foldeth together his hands, and eateth his flesh (and eateth his meat),
6 and saith, Better is an handful, with rest, than ever either hand full, with travail and torment of soul.
7 I beheld and found also another vanity under the sun; (I looked and found more emptiness and futility under the sun;)
8 one there is, and he hath not a second; neither a son, nor a brother; and nevertheless he ceaseth not to travail, neither his eyes be (ful)filled with riches; neither he bethinketh (to) him(self), and saith, To whom travail I, and deceive my soul in goods? In this also is vanity, and the worst torment. (one is alone, and he hath not a second, or someone with him; neither a son, nor a brother; and yet he ceaseth not to labour, and his eyes be not fulfilled with his riches; nor he thinketh to himself, and saith, For whom do I labour, and deprive myself of the enjoyment of good things? This is also empty and futile, and the worst torment.)
9 Therefore it is better, that two be together than one; for they have profit of their fellowship. (And so it is better, that two be together, rather than that they be alone; for they shall have profit, or shall benefit, from their fellowship.)
10 If one falleth down, he shall be underset of the tother; woe to him that is alone, for when he falleth, he hath none to raise him up. (If one falleth down, he shall be helped up by the other; woe to him who is alone, for when he falleth, he hath no one to raise him up again.)
11 And if twain sleep together, they shall be nourished together; (but) how shall one be made hot?
12 And if any man hath [the] mastery against one, twain against-stand him; a threefold cord is broken of hard (a threefold cord is much harder to break).
13 A poor man and wise is better than an eld king and fool(ish), that cannot before-see into time to coming. (A poor person who is wise, is better than an old king who is foolish, and who cannot foresee into the time to come, or who will not listen to good advice.)
14 For sometime a man goeth out, both from prison and chains, to a realm (and becometh a king); and another, born into a realm, is wasted by neediness.
15 I saw all men living that go under the sun, with the second young waxing man, that shall rise (up) for him. (I saw all the living who go under the sun, and yet for each, someone young shall rise up, and shall take their place.)
16 The number of people, of all that were before him, is great without measure, and they that shall come afterward, shall not be glad in him; but also this is vanity and torment of the spirit. (The number of all the people, who be under him, is great without measure, and yet they who shall come after, shall not be grateful to him; but this is also empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)
5 Thou that enterest into the house of God, keep thy foot, and nigh thou for to hear; for why much better is obedience, than the sacrifice of fools, that know not what evil they do. (Thou who enterest into the House of God, keep thy foot, and draw close to hear; for obedience is much better than the sacrifice of fools, who know not what evil they do.)
2 Speak thou not anything follily (Do not thou say anything foolish), neither (let) thine heart be swift to bring forth a word before God; for God is in heaven, and thou art on earth, therefore (let) thy words be few.
3 Dreams follow many busynesses, and folly shall be found in many words.
4 If thou hast avowed anything to God, tarry thou not to yield it; for an unfaithful and fond promise displeaseth him; but yield thou whatever thing thou hast avowed;
5 and it is much better to make not a vow, than after a vow to yield not the promises. (and it is much better to not make a vow, than to make a vow and then not yield the promises.)
6 Give thou not thy mouth, that thou make thy flesh to do sin; neither say thou before an angel, No purveyance there is; lest peradventure the Lord be wroth on thy words, and destroy all the works of thine hands. (Give thou not thy mouth, that thou make thy flesh to do sin; nor then say thou before an angel, This is but a mistake; lest perhaps the Lord be angry with thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.)
7 Where be many dreams, be full many vanities, and words without number; but dread thou God. (Where there be many dreams, there is much that is empty and futile, and words without number; rather, fear thou God/rather, have thou reverence for God.)
8 If thou seest false challenges of needy men, and violent dooms (If thou seest the poor oppressed, and grave injustice), and that rightfulness is destroyed in the province, wonder thou not on this doing; for another is higher than an high man, and also other men be more high above these men;
9 and furthermore the king of all (the) earth commandeth to the servant. (and ultimately the King of all the earth commandeth to all his servants.)
10 An avaricious man shall not be [ful]filled of money; and he that loveth riches shall not take (the) fruits of them; and therefore this is vanity. (A greedy person shall never be fulfilled, or filled full, with money; and he who loveth riches shall never truly enjoy their fruits, or their earnings; and so this is empty and futile.)
11 Where there be many riches, also many men there be, that eat those (Where there be many riches, there also be many people, who shall eat them); and what profiteth it to the holder, but that he seeth [the] riches with his eyes?
12 Sleep is sweet to him that worketh, whether he eat little either much; but the fullness of a rich man suffereth not him to sleep. (Sleep is sweet to him who worketh, whether he eat a little or a great deal; but a rich person’s fullness will not allow him to sleep.)
13 Also another sickness is full evil, which I saw under the sun; riches (that) be kept into the harm of their lord.
14 For they perish in the worst torment; (and) he begat a son, that shall be in sovereign neediness. (And then those riches be lost in a terrible calamity; and so he hath begotten a son, who shall be left in great neediness.)
15 As he went naked out of his mother’s womb, so he shall turn again; and he shall take away with him nothing of his travail. (As he went naked out of his mother’s womb, so he shall return; and he shall not take away with him anything gained from all his labour.)
16 Utterly it is a wretched sickness; as he came, so he shall turn again. What profiteth it to him, that he travailed into the wind? (Yea, it is utterly a wretched sickness; as he came, so he shall return. What hath it profited him? he hath only laboured for the wind!)
17 In all the days of his life he ate in darknesses, and in many busynesses, and in neediness, and sorrow.
18 Therefore this seemed good to me, that a man eat, and drink, and use gladness of his travail, in which he travailed under the sun, in the number of days of his life, which God gave to him; and this is his part. (And so it seemed good to me, that a person should eat, and drink, and enjoy, or get happiness from, the fruits of his labour, for which he laboured under the sun, in the days of his life, which God gave to him; yea, this is his portion.)
19 And to each man, to whom God gave riches, and chattel, and gave power to him to eat of those, and to use his part, and to be glad of his travail; this is the gift of God. (And to each person, to whom God gave riches, and substance, and gave the power to him to enjoy them, and to use his portion, and to be happy in his labour, or in his work; this is the gift of God.)
20 For he shall not think much on the days of his life, for God occupieth his heart with delights.
6 Also another evil there is (There is also another evil), which I saw under the sun; and certainly it is oft used with men.
2 A man is, to whom God gave riches, and chattel, and honour; and nothing faileth to his soul of all things which he desireth; and God giveth not power to him, that he eat thereof, but a strange man shall devour it[a]. This is vanity, and a great wretchedness. (There is a person, to whom God gave riches, and possessions, and honour; and he lacketh nothing of all the things which he desireth; but God giveth him not the power to enjoy those things, but a stranger shall enjoy them. This is empty and futile, and a great wretchedness.)
3 If a man engendereth an hundred free sons, and hath many days of age, and his soul useth not the goods of his chattel, and wanteth burying; I pronounce of this man, that a dead-born child is better than he. (Yea, if a man begetteth a hundred sons, and hath many years of age, and yet he is not able to enjoy the good things in his life, and at the last he even lacketh a proper burial, or a proper tomb; I declare of this man, that a still-born child is better than he.)
4 For he cometh in vain, and goeth to darknesses; and his name shall be done away by forgetting.
5 He saw not the sun, neither knew the diversity of good and of evil;
6 also though he live two thousand years, and useth not goods; whether all things hasten not to one place? (even if he live two thousand years, he hath not enjoyed the good things in his life; and do not all hasten to one and the same place?)
7 All the travail of a man is in his mouth, but the soul of him shall not be [ful]filled with goods. (All the labour of a person is for his mouth, yet his belly, or his appetite, shall never be fulfilled with enough good things.)
8 What hath a wise man more than a fool? and what hath a poor man, but that he go thither, where is life? (What more hath a person who is wise, than a person who is a fool? or what hath someone who is poor, but that he go there, with a knowledge, or with an understanding, of life?)
9 It is better to see that, that thou covetest, than to desire that, that thou knowest not; but also this is vanity, and presumption of spirit. (It is better to see what thou covetest, than to desire what thou knowest not; but this is also empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)
10 The name of him that shall come, is called now, and it is known, that he is a man, and he may not strive in doom against a stronger than himself. (The name of what is to come is known and understood, and it is also known, that one cannot argue in court against someone stronger than oneself.)
11 Words be full many, and have much vanity in disputing. What need is it to a man to seek greater things than himself; (There can be a great many words, but there is much that is empty and futile in disputing, or in arguing. What profiteth it to someone,)
12 since he knoweth not, what shall befall to him in his life, in the number of (the) days of his pilgrimage, and in the time that passeth as (a) shadow? either who may show to him, what thing under [the] sun shall come after him?
12 If it behooveth to have glory, it speedeth not; but I shall come to the visions and the revelations of the Lord. [If it behooveth to glory, soothly it speedeth not; forsooth I shall come to the visions and revelations of the Lord.]
2 I know a man in Christ that before fourteen years; whether in body, whether out of body, I know not, God knoweth; that such a man was snatched (up) unto the third heaven [such a man snatched (up) till to the third heaven].
3 And I know such a man; whether in body, or out of body, I know not, God knoweth;
4 that he was snatched (up) into paradise, and heard privy words, which it is not leaveful to a man [for] to speak.
5 For such manner things I shall glory [For such manner thing I shall glory]; but for me nothing, but in mine infirmities.
6 For if I shall desire to glory [For why and if I shall will to glory], I shall not be unwise, for I shall say truth; but I spare, lest any man guess me over that thing that he seeth in me, or heareth any thing of me.
7 And lest the greatness of revelations enhance me in pride, the prick of my flesh, an angel of Satan, is given to me, that he buffet me.
8 For which thing thrice I prayed the Lord, that it should go away from me.
9 And he said to me, My grace sufficeth to thee; for virtue is perfectly made in infirmity. Therefore gladly I shall glory in mine infirmities, that the virtue of Christ dwell in me.
10 For which thing I am pleased in mine infirmities, in despisings [in wrong despisings, or reprovings], in needs, in persecutions, in anguishes, for Christ; for when I am frail [for when I am sick], then I am mighty.
11 I am made witless [I am made unwitty], ye constrained me. For I ought to be commended of you; for I did nothing less than they that be apostles over measure. Though I am nought [Though I be nought],
12 nevertheless the signs of mine apostlehood be made on you, in all patience, and signs, and great wonders, and works of power. [nevertheless the signs of my apostlehood be made on you, in all patience, and signs, or miracles, and great wonders, and virtues.]
13 And what is it, that ye had less than other churches [that ye had less before other churches], [no] but that I myself grieved you not? Forgive ye to me this wrong.
14 Lo! this third time I am ready to come to you, and I shall not be grievous to you; for I seek not those things that be yours, but you. For neither sons owe to [make] treasure to father and mother, but the father and mother to the sons.
15 For I shall give most willfully [For I most willfully shall give], and I myself shall be given over for your souls; though I more love you, and be less loved.
16 But be it; I grieved not you, but when I was subtle[a], I took you with guile.
17 Whether I deceived you by any of them, which I sent to you [whom I sent to you]?
18 I prayed Titus, and I sent with him a brother. Whether Titus beguiled you? whether we went not in the same spirit? whether not in the same steps?
19 Sometime ye ween, that we shall excuse us with you. Before God in Christ we speak; and, most dear brethren [forsooth, most dear brethren], all things for your edifying.
20 But I dread, lest when I come, I shall not find you such as I will, and I shall be found of you such as ye will not; lest peradventure strivings, envies, indignations [sturdinesses], dissensions and detractions, privy speeches of discord, swellings by pride, debates be among you;
21 and lest again when I come, God make me low with you, and I bewail many of them, that before sinned, and did not penance on the uncleanness, and fornication, and unchastity, that they have done.[b]
2001 by Terence P. Noble