Ecclesiastes 4
1
And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun,
and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand
of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter. 2 And I am praising
the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive. 3 And better
than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the
evil work that hath been done under the sun. 4 And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a
man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is]
vanity and vexation of spirit. 5 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his
own flesh: 6 `Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.' 7 And I have turned, and I
see a vain thing under the sun: 8 There is one, and there is not a second; even
son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour!
His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith
not], `For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul
of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail. 9 The two [are] better than
the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion,
but woe to the one who falleth and there is not a
second to raise him up! 11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how
hath one heat? 12 And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him;
and the threefold cord is not hastily broken. 13 Better is a poor and wise
youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.
14 For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own
kingdom he hath been poor. 15 I have seen all the living, who are walking under
the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place; 16 there is no end
to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in
him. Surely this also is vanity
and vexation of spirit.