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 saw all the oppressions that were done under the sun: and behold the tear of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of them that oppressed them 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;
and I praised all the dead that had already died more than the living, as many as are alive until now.
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.—
Better also than both these is he who has not yet been, who has not seen all 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.
And I saw all labor, and all the diligent work, that this is a man's envy from his neighbor. This is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.
5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
The fool folds his hands together, and eats his own flesh.
6 Better is a handful of quiet, than both the hands full of toil and torture of spirit.
Better is a handful of rest than two handfuls of trouble and waywardness of spirit.
7 Then I turned about, and I saw a vanity under the sun.
So I returned, and 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; yes, he has neither son nor brother: yet there is no end to all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with wealth; and for whom do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? this is also vanity, and an evil trouble.
9 Two are better than one; because they will have a good reward for their toil.
Two [are] better than one, [seeing] 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 up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls, and there is not a second to lift him up.
11 Also, if two lie together, then will they become warm; but how can one person alone become warm?
Also if two should lie together, they also get heat: but how shall one be warmed [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 should prevail against [him], the two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord shall not be 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 wise child than an old and foolish king, who knows not how to take heed any longer.
14 For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.
For he shall come forth out of the house of the prisoners to reign, because [he] also that was in his kingdom has become 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 saw all the living who were walking under the sun, with the second youth who shall stand up in each one's place.
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 to all the people, to all who were before them: and the last shall not rejoice in him: for this also is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
