16 Then again I saw in this world at the place of judgement, there was wickedness,

and at the place of righteousness, there was wickedness.

17 I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,

because there’s a time for every matter, and for every action to be judged.”

18 I said to myself, “God tests humanity

so they can see that they themselves are like animals

19 because the same one thing happens to both people and animals:

just like one dies, so does the other—they both have the same breath.

But people have no advantage over animals—everything is pointless.

20 Both go to the same place—

both came from the dust and both return to the dust.

21 Who can know that a person’s spirit is the one going up—upwards,

and the animal’s spirit is the one going down—downwards to the earth?

22 Then I saw that there is nothing better than that people would enjoy their work,

because that’s their assignment.

Yes, who can see what will happen to them after they die?

4 Then I turned and I saw all the oppression around the world,

and, look, see the tears of the oppressed

but there was no one to comfort them.

The oppressors exerted their power against them,

but there was no one to comfort the oppressed.

2 So I praised those who were dead—who’ve already died,

more than the living—those who are still alive.

3 But better than both of them, is the one who hasn’t yet lived—

who hasn’t seen the evil things that are being done in this world.

4 Then I noticed all the skills used and the work that gets done,

but also saw that it raised the envy of others.

That is also pointless and chasing after the wind.

5 The fool folds his hands together instead of working

and ends up ruining himself.

6 A small handful of quietness is better

than two very full handfuls of work and chasing after the wind.

7 Then I turned and I saw a pointless thing in this world:

8 Sometimes there’s a person living alone without a child or a relative, who works hard without stopping.

However, wealth doesn’t satisfy them because they wonder why they’re working so hard and not sitting down to enjoy their good things.

That also is pointless, and it’s an unpleasant business.

9 Two people are better than one.

because their working together can give a better result.

10 Yes, if they fall, one person can help his companion up,

but it wouldn’t end so well if one person falls alone

and there’s no second person to help them.

11 Similarly, if two people lie down together, they can help each other stay warm,

but how can one person stay warm by themself?

12 And even if one person would be easily overpowered,

two people could stand against an attacker.

A three-stranded rope can’t be easily broken.

13 A poor but wise youth is better off

than an old but foolish king who can’t accept advice,

14 because coming from a family who’d spent time in prison, he made it to become king—yet even in his kingdom he was born poor.

15 I saw all those walking around in this world with the next child who will rule after him—

16 there was no end to all the people who’ve ruled before them.

Even the ones who follow him won’t speak kindly about him,

because even that is pointless and chasing after the wind.