Ecclesiastes 4

1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.

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

[So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.

3 Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.

4 Then I saw all the labour and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbour. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.

5 The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.

Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.

6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labour and chasing after wind.

[So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”

7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.

8 There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labour, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labour and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

There are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.

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

Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.

If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?

Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.

12 If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].

13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.

A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.

14 For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.

It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.

15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.

But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.

16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.