| Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. | And where a single man can be overcome, two together will be able to resist. A cord with three strands is not easily broken. |
| There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. | For everything there is a season, and a time for every activity under heaven. |
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| If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. | And if one should fall, his companion will help him up. How pathetic is the man who is alone and falls and has no one to assist him to his feet. |
| Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. | One who is covetous will never be satisfied with money, nor will the lover of wealth be content with gain. This too is vanity. |
| Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. | Do not assert that the past was better than the present, for such a statement is not a sign of wisdom. |
| Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. | Two are better than one: they earn a far greater reward for their toil. |
| As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. | Just as you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a woman’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, the Creator of all. |
| So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. | Banish grief from your heart and ignore the sufferings of your body, for youth and the prime of life are fleeting. |
| When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. | When things are going well, be grateful for your blessings, and in times of adversity consider this: God has made both of them, so that we cannot predict with confidence what the future holds. |
| For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. | For much wisdom can result in much sorrow, and those who increase their knowledge also increase their grief. |
