Ecclesiastes 4

1 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.

Then I turned to consider all the ways people oppress others here on earth. Look at the tears of the oppressed—there's no one to comfort them! Powerful people oppress them, and there's no one to comfort them!

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

I congratulated those who were already dead, for the dead are better off than those who are still alive and being oppressed.

3 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.

But best of all are those who have never existed—they haven't seen the evil things people do to each other here on earth.

4 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.

I observed that every skill in work comes from competition with others. Once again this is hard to understand, like trying to hold on to the elusive wind.

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

Fools fold their arms and do nothing—so in the end they're all used up.

6 [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.”

It's better to earn a little without stress than a lot with too much stress and chasing after the wind.

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

Then I turned to consider something else here on earth that is also frustratingly hard to understand.

8 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.

What about someone who has no family to help him, no brother or son, who works all the time, but isn't satisfied with the money he makes. “Who am I working for?” he asks himself. “Why am I preventing myself from enjoying life?” Such a situation is hard to explain—it's an evil business!

9 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.

Two are better than one, for they can help each other in their work.

10 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.

If one of them falls down, the other can help them up, but how sad it is for someone who falls down and doesn't have anyone to help them up.

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

In the same way, if two people lie down together, they keep each other warm, but you can't keep yourself warm if you're alone.

12 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].

Someone fighting against one other person may win, but not if they are fighting against two. A cord made of three strands can't be torn apart quickly.

13 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.

A poor young person who's wise is better than an old and foolish king who no longer accepts advice.

14 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.

He may even come out of prison to reign over his kingdom, even though he was born poor.

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

I observed everyone here on earth following the youth who takes his place.

16 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.

He is surrounded by crowds of supporters, but the next generation isn't happy with him. This also illustrates the passing nature of life whose meaning is elusive, like pursuing the wind for understanding.