4 And 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.

5 Fools fold their hands

and ruin themselves.

6 Better one handful with tranquillity

than two handfuls with toil

and chasing after the wind.

4 Again, 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. 5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

5 “Fools fold their idle hands,

leading them to ruin.”

6 And yet,

“Better to have one handful with quietness

than two handfuls with hard work

and chasing the wind.”

4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

5 The fool folds his hands

And consumes his own flesh.

6 Better a handful with quietness

Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.

4 I realized the reason people work hard and try to succeed: They are jealous of each other. This, too, is useless, like chasing the wind.

5 Some say it is foolish to fold your hands and do nothing,

because you will starve to death.

6 Maybe so, but I say it is better to be content

with what little you have.

Otherwise, you will always be struggling for more,

and that is like chasing the wind.

4 Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.

4 And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man’s jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind. 5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

4 Then I saw that all hard work and skillful effort come from rivalry. Even this is pointless. ⸤It’s like⸥ trying to catch the wind. 5 A fool folds his hands and wastes away. 6 One handful of peace and quiet is better than two handfuls of hard work and of trying to catch the wind. 

4 I saw that all labor and all skillful work is due to a man’s jealousy of his friend. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

5 The fool folds his arms

and consumes his own flesh.

6 Better one handful with rest

than two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind.

4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

5 Fools fold their hands

and consume their own flesh.

6 Better is a handful with quiet

than two handfuls with toil,

and a chasing after wind.

4 I also realized that all of the toil and all of the skillful work that is done—it is envy between one man and another. This also is vanity and chasing wind!

5 The fool refuses to work with his hands,

so he has nothing to eat except his own skin!

6 Better is one handful with peace

than two fists full with toil and chasing wind.

4 I also saw that man works hard and accomplishes a lot. But he does it only because he wants what his neighbor has. That doesn’t have any meaning either. It’s like chasing the wind.

5 A foolish person folds his hands and doesn’t work.

And that destroys him.

6 One handful with peace and quiet

is better than two handfuls with hard work.

Working too hard is like chasing the wind.

4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.