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Suffering, Hard Work and Friendship
4 I 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.
who have already died
are happier than those
who are still alive.
3 But 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.
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.
7Again I saw something on earth that didn’t mean anything.
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!
9 Two people are better than one.
They can help each other in everything they do.
10 Suppose 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!
11 Or suppose two people lie down together.
Then they’ll keep warm.
But how can one person keep warm alone?
12 One 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.
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About New International Reader’s Version (1998)The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) was developed to help early readers understand the Bible. Begun in 1992, the NIrV is a simplification of the New International Version (NIV). The NIrV uses shorter words and sentences so that those with a typical fourth grade reading level can comprehend what they are reading. The chapters have been separated into shorter sections and most have titles that clearly indicate what the section is all about. The NIrV will be a valuable translation to those for whom English is a second language. The NIrV still relies on the best and oldest copies of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts for its translation, guaranteeing that those who read it are getting the actual Word of God. |
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Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. The NIrV text may be quoted for non-commercial usage in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio) up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without the express written permission of the publisher, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted. Notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page of the work as follows: Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION™. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. When quotations from the NIrV text are used in non-saleable media, such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, transparencies or similar media, a complete copyright notice is not required, but the initials (NIrV) must appear at the end of each quotation. Any commentary or other Biblical reference work produced for commercial sale that uses the New International Reader’s Version must obtain written permission for use of the NIrV text. Permission requests for commercial use within the U.S. and Canada that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, Zondervan, 5300 Patterson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530. Permission requests for commercial use within the U.K., EEC, and EFTA countries that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, Hodder Headline Plc., 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH, England. Permission requests for non-commercial usage that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, International Bible Society, 1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. |
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