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.

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.

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

Thereupon praised I the dead that are already dead, more than the living who are still alive;

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.

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.—

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.

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.

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

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

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.”

Better is a handful of quiet, than both the hands full of toil and torture of spirit.

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

Then I turned about, and I saw a vanity under the sun.

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.

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.

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; because they will have a good reward for their toil.

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.

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.

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

Also, if two lie together, then will they become warm; but how can one person alone become warm?

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].

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.

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.

Better is a poor and a wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to be admonished any more.

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.

For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.

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

I have seen all the living who walk under the sun, being with the second child that is to stand up in his stead.

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.

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.—