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Listen to Ecclesiastes 4
4So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
2Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
3Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
4Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
5The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
6Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
7Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
8There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
9Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
13Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
14For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
15I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
16There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
The Evils of Oppression
4Then I looked again at all the acts of (A)oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had (B)no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. 2So (C)I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. 3But (D)better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
4I have seen that every labor and every (E)skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is [a](F)vanity and striving after wind. 5The fool (G)folds his hands and (H)consumes his own flesh. 6One hand full of rest is (I)better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.
7Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. 8There was a certain man without a [b]dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, (J)his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And (K)for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a (L)grievous task.
9Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10For if [c]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not [d]another to lift him up. 11Furthermore, if two lie down together they [e]keep warm, but (M)how can one be warm alone? 12And if [f]one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
13A (N)poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive [g]instruction. 14For he has come (O)out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. 15I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who [h]replaces him. 16There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is (P)vanity and striving after wind.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 Or futility, and so throughout the ch
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 Lit second
- Ecclesiastes 4:10 Lit they fall
- Ecclesiastes 4:10 Lit a second
- Ecclesiastes 4:11 Lit have warmth
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 Lit he
- Ecclesiastes 4:13 Or warning
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 Lit stands in his stead
Cross references
- Ecclesiastes 4:1 : Job 35:9; Ps 12:5; Eccl 3:16; 5:8; Is 5:7
- Ecclesiastes 4:1 : Jer 16:7; Lam 1:9
- Ecclesiastes 4:2 : Job 3:11-26; Eccl 2:17; 7:1
- Ecclesiastes 4:3 : Job 3:11-22; Eccl 6:3; Luke 23:29
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 : Eccl 2:21
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 : Eccl 1:14
- Ecclesiastes 4:5 : Prov 6:10; 24:33
- Ecclesiastes 4:5 : Is 9:20
- Ecclesiastes 4:6 : Prov 15:16, 17; 16:8
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 : Prov 27:20; Eccl 1:8; 5:10
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 : Eccl 2:21
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 : Eccl 1:13
- Ecclesiastes 4:11 : 1 Kin 1:1-4
- Ecclesiastes 4:13 : Eccl 7:19; 9:15
- Ecclesiastes 4:14 : Gen 41:14, 41-43
- Ecclesiastes 4:16 : Eccl 1:14
Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness
4Again I looked and saw all the oppression(A) that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.(B)
2And I declared that the dead,(C)
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.(D)
3But better than both
is the one who has never been born,(E)
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.(F)
4And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(G)
5Fools fold their hands(H)
and ruin themselves.
6Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil(I)
and chasing after the wind.
7Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content(J) with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Advancement Is Meaningless
13Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Cross references
- Ecclesiastes 4:1 : S Ps 12:5
- Ecclesiastes 4:1 : La 1:16
- Ecclesiastes 4:2 : Jer 20:17-18; 22:10
- Ecclesiastes 4:2 : S Job 3:17; S 10:18
- Ecclesiastes 4:3 : S Job 3:16
- Ecclesiastes 4:3 : S Job 3:22
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 : S Ecc 1:14
- Ecclesiastes 4:5 : S Pr 6:10
- Ecclesiastes 4:6 : Pr 15:16-17; S 16:8
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 : Pr 27:20
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain
New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
