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.
Then again, I, considered all the oppressive deeds which were done under the sun, —and lo! the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter, and, on the side of their oppressing, is power, and they have no comforter.
2 So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
So, I, pronounced happy the dead, who were, already, dead, —more than the living, who were living, still;
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 better than both, him who had not yet come into being, —who had not seen the vexatious work, which was 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.
Then saw, I, all the toil and all the skill of the work, that, for this, a man was envied of his neighbour, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
The dullard, claspeth his hands, and consumeth his own flesh.
6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
Better a handful—with quietness, —than both hands, full—with toil, and feeding on wind.
7 Again, I saw futility under the sun.
Then again, I, looked at 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.
Here is one, without a second, even son or brother, he hath none, yet is there no end to all his toil, even his eye, is not satisfied with riches, —neither [saith he] For whom, am I toiling, and letting my soul want good? Even this, was vanity, yea a vexatious employment, it was!
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
Better are two, than one, —in that they 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 the one should fall, [the other] would raise up his companion, —but alas! for him who is alone when he falleth, with no second to raise him up!
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
Moreover, if two lie together, then have they warmth, —but how can, one, have warmth?
12 And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
And, though an enemy should prevail against one, two, might make a stand before him, —and, a threefold cord, cannot soon be 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 a boy poor and wise, —than a king, old and stupid, who knoweth not how to take warning any longer.
14 For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
For, out of prison, came he forth to reign, yea, even in his own kingdom, was he born poor.
15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
I saw all the living, who were going hither and thither under the sun, —[that they were] with the boy who was to be the second, who was to stand in the other’s 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 was no end to all the people, to all before whom he came, yet, they who should come later, would not rejoice in him, —surely, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
