Ecclesiastes 4–5

Suffering, Hard Work and Friendship

4I looked and saw how much people were suffering on this earth.

I saw the tears of those who are suffering.

They don’t have anyone to comfort them.

Power is on the side of those who beat them down.

Those who are suffering don’t have anyone to comfort them.

²Then I announced that those

who have already died

are happier than those

who are still alive.

³But someone who hasn’t been born yet

is better off than the dead or the living.

That’s because he hasn’t seen the evil things

that are done on earth.

⁴I 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.

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

And that destroys him.

⁶One handful with peace and quiet

is better than two handfuls with hard work.

Working too hard is like chasing the wind.

⁷Again I saw something on earth that didn’t mean anything.

⁸A man lived all by himself.

He didn’t have any sons or brothers.

His hard work never ended.

But he wasn’t happy with what he had.

“Who am I working so hard for?” he asked.

“Why don’t I get the things I enjoy?”

That doesn’t have any meaning either.

In fact, it’s a very bad deal!

⁹Two people are better than one.

They can help each other in everything they do.

¹⁰Suppose someone falls down.

Then his friend can help him up.

But suppose the man who falls down doesn’t have anyone to help him up.

Then feel sorry for him!

¹¹Or suppose two people lie down together.

Then they’ll keep warm.

But how can one person keep warm alone?

¹²One person could be overpowered.

But two people can stand up for themselves.

And a rope made out of three cords isn’t easily broken.

Getting Ahead Doesn’t Have Any Meaning

¹³A poor but wise young man is better off than an old but foolish king. That king doesn’t pay attention to a warning anymore. ¹⁴The young man might have come from prison to become king. Or he might have been born poor within the kingdom but still became king. ¹⁵I saw that everyone was following the young man who had become the new king.

¹⁶At first, all of the people served him when he became king. But those who came later weren’t pleased with the way he was ruling. That doesn’t have any meaning either. It’s like chasing the wind.

Have Respect for God

5Be careful what you say when you go to God’s house. Go there to listen. Don’t be like foolish people when you offer your sacrifice. They do what is wrong and don’t even know it.

²Don’t be too quick to speak.

Don’t be in a hurry to say anything to God.

He is in heaven. You are on earth.

So use only a few words when you speak.

³Dreams come to people when they worry a lot.

When foolish people talk, they use too many words.

⁴When you make a promise to God, don’t wait too long to carry it out. He isn’t pleased with foolish people. So do what you have promised. ⁵It is better to make no promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it.

⁶Don’t let your mouth cause you to sin. Don’t object to the temple messenger. Don’t say, “My promise was a mistake.” Why should God be angry with what you say? Why should he destroy what you have done? ⁷Dreaming too much and talking too much are meaningless. So have respect for God.

Riches Don’t Have Any Meaning

⁸Suppose you see poor people being mistreated somewhere. And what is being done to them isn’t right or fair. Don’t be surprised by that. One official is watched by a higher one. Others who are even higher are watching both of them. ⁹All of them take what the land produces. And the king himself takes his share from the fields.

¹⁰Anyone who loves money never has enough.

Anyone who loves wealth is never satisfied with what he gets.

That doesn’t have any meaning either.

¹¹As more and more goods are made,

more and more people use them up.

So how can those goods benefit their owner?

All he can do is look at them with longing.

¹²The sleep of a worker is sweet.

It doesn’t matter whether he eats a little or a lot.

But the wealth of a rich man

keeps him awake at night.

¹³I’ve seen something very evil on earth.

It’s when wealth is stored up

and then brings harm to its owner.

¹⁴It’s also when wealth is lost

because of an unwise business deal.

Then there won’t be anything left

for the owner’s son.

¹⁵A man is born naked.

He comes into the world with nothing.

And he goes out of it with nothing.

He doesn’t get anything from his work

that he can take with him.

¹⁶Here’s something else that is very evil.

A man is born, and a man dies.

And what does he get for his work?

Nothing. It’s like working for the wind.

¹⁷All his life he eats in darkness.

His life is full of trouble, suffering and anger.

¹⁸I realized that it’s good and proper for a man to eat and drink. It’s good for him to be satisfied with his hard work on this earth. That’s what he should do during the few days of life God has given him. That’s what God made him for.

¹⁹Sometimes God gives a man wealth and possessions. He makes it possible for him to enjoy them. He helps him accept the life he has given him. He helps him to be happy in his work. All of those things are gifts from God. ²⁰A man like that doesn’t have to think about how his life is going. That’s because God fills his heart with joy.