< 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 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 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
So, I, pronounced happy the dead, who were, already, dead, —more than the living, who were living, still;
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.
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 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.
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 is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
The dullard, claspeth his hands, and consumeth his own flesh.
6 “Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labor and distress of spirit.”
Better a handful—with quietness, —than both hands, full—with toil, and feeding on wind.
7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:
Then again, I, looked at a vain thing 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.
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 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labor.
Better are two, than one, —in that they have a good reward for their toil.
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 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 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how has one heat?
Moreover, if two lie together, then have they warmth, —but how can, one, have warmth?
12 And if the one strengthens himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord 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 and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who has not known to be warned anymore.
Better a boy poor and wise, —than a king, old and stupid, who knoweth not how to take warning any longer.
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, came he forth to reign, yea, even in his own kingdom, was he born poor.
15 I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who stands in his place;
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 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, 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.

< Ecclesiastes 4 >