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Is It Better to Be Dead?

Again I saw all the people who were ·mistreated [oppressed] ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
I saw ·their tears [L the tears of the oppressed]
    and that they had no one to comfort them.
·Cruel people had [Oppressors have] all the power,
    and there was no one to comfort those they hurt.
I ·decided that the dead
    are better off than the living [L praised the dead who were already dead more than the living who are still alive].
But those who have never ·been born [existed; L been]
    are better off still;
they have not seen the evil
    that is done ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].

Why Work So Hard?

I ·realized [saw; observed] the reason people ·work hard [toil] and try to succeed: They are jealous of ·each other [L their neighbors]. This, too, is useless [1:2], like chasing the wind.

·Some say it is foolish to fold your hands and do nothing [L Fools fold their hands],
    ·because you will starve to death [L and consume their own flesh; Prov. 6:9–11; 10:4; 24:30–34].
·Maybe so, but I say it is better to be content
    with what little you have [L Better one handful with rest].
·Otherwise, you will always be struggling for more [L …than two handfuls with hard work/toil; Prov. 15:15; 16:8; 17:1],
    and that is like chasing the wind.

·Again I [L I turned and] saw something ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3] that was useless [1:2]:
·I saw a man who had no family [L There was one, but not a second],
    no son or brother.
·He always worked hard [L There was no end to all his hard work/toil]
    but ·was never satisfied with what he had [L his eye was never satisfied with his work].
He ·never asked [or asked] himself, “For whom am I ·working so hard [toiling]?
    Why ·don’t I let myself enjoy life [L do I deprive myself of good]?”
This also is ·very sad [or an evil task/occupation] and useless [1:2].

Friends and Family Give Strength

Two people are better than one,
    because they get ·more done by working together [L a good return for their hard work/toil].
10 If one falls down,
    the other can help ·him [L his colleague] up.
But it is ·bad [a pity] for the person who is alone and falls,
    because no one is there to help.
11 If two lie down together, they will be warm,
    but a person alone will not be warm.
12 ·An enemy [L Someone] might ·defeat [overpower] one person,
    but two people together can ·defend themselves [L stand up against them];
·a rope that is woven of three strings is hard to break [T a three-stranded cord does not quickly snap; C having a friend is good, having more friends is better].

Fame and Power Are Useless

13 A poor but wise ·boy [youth] is better than a foolish but old king who doesn’t listen to advice [Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 20:18; 24:6]. 14 The ·boy [youth] became king. He had been born poor in the kingdom and had even gone to prison before becoming king. 15 I ·watched [saw; observed] all the people who ·lived on earth [L walked under the sun; 1:3] follow ·him and make him their king [or the next youth who replaced the first youth/L him]. 16 ·Many followed him at first [L There was no end to all the people, to all those whom he led], but later, they did not like him, either. ·So fame and power are [L This is] useless [1:2], like chasing the wind.

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