Ecclesiastes 4

1 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.

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 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.

Therefore I praised the dead, who have been long ago dead, more than the living, who are yet alive.

3 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.

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 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.

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 is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:

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

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

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

7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:

Then I turned and saw other vanity under the sun.

8 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.

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

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

10 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!

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 down, then they have heat, but how has one heat?

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

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

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

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

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

I saw that all the living, who walk under the sun, were with the child who stood up in his stead.

16 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.

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.