Ecclesiastes 4:1–16

The Evils of Oppression

¹Then I looked again at all the acts of ^aoppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had ^bno one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

²So ^aI congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.

³But ^abetter 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 ^askill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is ^1bvanity and striving after wind.

⁵The fool ^afolds his hands and ^bconsumes his own flesh.

⁶One hand full of rest is ^abetter 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 ¹dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, ^ahis eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And ^bfor whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a ^cgrievous task.

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

¹⁰For if ¹either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not ²another to lift him up.

¹¹Furthermore, if two lie down together they ¹keep warm, but ^ahow can one be warm alone?

¹²And if ¹one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

¹³A ^apoor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive ¹instruction.

¹⁴For he has come ^aout 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 ¹replaces 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 ^avanity and striving after wind.