Ecclesiastes 4

Modern

Literal

The Evil of Oppression

¹Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.

¹And I turned, and I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and no one is comforting to them—while from the hand of those oppressing them is strength, and no one is comforting to them.

²So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.

²I—and I praised those who were dead, who already had died, above the living who are still alive;

³But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

³and better than both is the one who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun!

⁴I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

⁴I—and I have seen all the toil and every skillful deed, that it was the envy of each man from his neighbor. This also is vapor and a striving after the wind.

⁵The fool folds his hands

and consumes his own flesh.

⁵The fool is folding his hands and is eating his own flesh.

⁶Better one handful with tranquility

than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.

⁶Better the fullness of palm with quietness than the fullness of two palms with toil and a striving after the wind.

⁷Again, I saw futility under the sun.

⁷And I turned, and I saw a vapor under the sun:

⁸There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.

⁸There is one, and there is not a second—there is not even a son or brother for him—and there is not end to all his toils; and his eye is not satisfied with wealth: “For whom am I toiling and depriving my soul of good?” This also is vapor, and it is a task of evil.

⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.

⁹Two are better than the one, because there is for them a good wage for their toil;

¹⁰For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!

¹⁰for if they fall, the one raises up his companion—and woe to him, the one who falls, and there is not a second to raise him up!

¹¹Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?

¹¹Also, if two lie down, then there is warmth for them; but for one, how can he keep warm?

¹²And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

¹²And though one may be overpowered, the two can stand against him; and a threefold cord cannot quickly be broken.

The Futility of Power

¹³Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.

¹³Better a youth poor and wise than a king old and foolish, who does not know to be warned anymore.

¹⁴For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.

¹⁴For from the house of bondage he came to be king, for even in his kingdom he was born poor.

¹⁵I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.

¹⁵I saw all the living who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who stands in his place.

¹⁶There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

¹⁶There is no end to all the people, to all who were before their faces, yet those coming after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vapor and a striving after the wind.