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 have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.

2 So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.

And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet 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 better than both of them [is] he who has not yet been, in that he has not seen the evil work that has been 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.

And I have seen all the labor, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbor. Even this [is] vanity and distress of spirit.

5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:

6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.

“Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labor and distress of spirit.”

7 Again, I saw futility under the sun.

And I have turned, and I see a vain thing 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, and there is not a second; even son or brother he has not, and there is no end to all his labor! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he does not say], “For whom am I laboring and bereaving my soul of good?” This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.

The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labor.

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 raises up his companion, but woe to the one who falls and there is not a second to raise him up!

11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?

Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how has one heat?

12 And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

And if the one strengthens himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not quickly broken.

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 wise youth than an old and foolish king, who has not known to be warned anymore.

14 For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.

For from a house of prisoners he has come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he has been 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 are walking under the sun, with the second youth who stands in his place;

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 is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter do not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and distress of spirit.