Ecclesiastes 4
1 Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.
And I turned about, and beheld all the oppressed that are made so under the sun: and, behold, there are the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors they suffer violence; and they have no comforter.
2 So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
Thereupon praised I the dead that are already dead, more than the living who are still alive;
3 But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
And as happier than both of them, him who hath not yet come into being, who hath not seen the evil-doing that is done under the sun.—
4 I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
Again, I beheld all the toil, and all the energy in doing, that it is [from] the envy of one man of his neighbor. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
Better is a handful of quiet, than both the hands full of toil and torture of spirit.
7 Again, I saw futility under the sun.
Then I turned about, and I saw a vanity under the sun.
8 There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
There is one alone, and he hath not a companion; yea, he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end to all his toil; his eye also is not satisfied with riches. Yet for whom do I toil, and deprive my soul of good? Also this is vanity, yea, it is a bad employment.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
Two are better than one; because they will have a good reward for their toil.
10 For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to the single one that falleth; for he hath no companion to lift him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
Also, if two lie together, then will they become warm; but how can one person alone become warm?
12 And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
And if a man could overpower him, the single one, two would stand up against him: and a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn asunder.
13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
Better is a poor and a wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to be admonished any more.
14 For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.
15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
I have seen all the living who walk under the sun, being with the second child that is to stand up in his stead.
16 There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
There was no end to all the people, [belonging] to all that have been before them: they also that come after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a torture of the spirit.—
