Ecclesiastes 4

1 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.

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of [such as were] oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors [there was] power; but they had no comforter.

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

Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

3 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.—

Yea, better [is he] than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

4 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.

Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.

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

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

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

Better [is] an handful [with] quietness, than both the hands full [with] travail and vexation of spirit.

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

Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

8 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.

There is one [alone], and [there is] not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet [is there] no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither [saith he], For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This [is] also vanity, yea, it [is] a sore travail.

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

Two [are] better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 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.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth; for [he hath] not another to help him up.

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

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm [alone]?

12 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.

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

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

Better [is] a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

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

For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also [he that is] born in his kingdom becometh poor.

15 I have seen all the living who walk under the sun, being with the second child that is to stand up in his stead.

I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

16 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.—

[There is] no end of all the people, [even] of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.