Ecclesiastes 4

1 And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had 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 my praise was for the dead who have gone to their death, more than for the living who still have life.

Thereupon praised I the dead that are already dead, more than the living who are still alive;

3 Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which 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 And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for 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 foolish man, folding his hands, takes the flesh of his body for food.

The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

6 One hand full of rest is better than two hands full of trouble and desire for wind.

Better is a handful of quiet, than both the hands full of toil and torture of spirit.

7 Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.

Then I turned about, and I saw a vanity under the sun.

8 It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.

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 reward for their work.

Two are better than one; because they will have a good reward for their toil.

10 And if one has a fall, the other will give him a hand; but unhappy is the man who is by himself, because he has no helper.

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 So again, if two are sleeping together they are warm, but how may one be warm by himself?

Also, if two lie together, then will they become warm; but how can one person alone become warm?

12 And two attacked by one would be safe, and three cords twisted together are 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 A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.

Better is a poor and a wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to be admonished any more.

14 Because out of a prison the young man comes to be king, though by birth he was only a poor man in the kingdom.

For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.

15 I saw all the living under the sun round the young man who was to be ruler in place of 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 was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for 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.—