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.

Then I turned and saw all the oppressions which take place under the sun; and, behold, there were the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors there was violence, and they had no comforter.

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

Therefore I praised the dead, who have been long ago dead, more than the living, who 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 than both of them is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work which 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.

And I saw all labor, and all success in work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity, and striving after wind.

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 a hand full of quietness, than both hands full of weariness and striving after wind.

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

Then I turned and saw other 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 who is alone, and no one with him; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end to all his labor, and his eye is not satisfied with riches. “For whom, then [[saith he]], do I labor and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity; yea, it is an evil thing!

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 labor.

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 his fellow up; but woe to him who is alone when he falleth, and 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 an enemy prevail against one, 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 child poor but wise, than a king old and foolish, 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 cometh forth such a one to reign; for in his own kingdom he was born a poor man.

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 saw that all the living, who walk under the sun, were with the child who stood 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 was no end to all the people before whom he went forth; yet they that come afterwards shall not rejoice in him. This also is vanity, and striving after wind.