Parallel Bible results for "Ecclesiastes 4"

Ecclesiastes 4

Lexham English Bible LEB

1 I looked again, and I saw all the oppression that occurs under the sun. {I saw the tears of the oppressed-- no one comforts them! Those who oppress them are powerful-- no one can comfort them}!<note: Literally "And look! The tears of the oppressed, and there is no comforting for them, and from the hand of oppressors [of] them [was] power, and there is no comforting for them">

2 So I deemed the dead who have already died more [fortunate] than the living who are still alive.

3 But better [off] than both of them is the one who has not yet been born and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

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.

7 I turned again and saw another vanity under the sun.

8 Sometimes a man is all alone with no companion; he also has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eye is not satisfied with wealth. [He laments,] "For whom am I toiling and depriving {myself} of pleasure?" This also [is] vanity--it is an unhappy business!

9 Two [are] better than the one, for they enjoy a better reward for their toil.

10 For if one falls, his companion may help him up. But pity the one who falls and there is {no one} to help him up.

11 Also if two lie together, {they can keep each other warm}. But how can one person be warm?

12 {Although an assailant may overpower one person, two may withstand him}. A threefold cord {is not easily broken}!

13 A poor but wise youth [is] better than an old but foolish king who no longer knows {how to receive advice}.

14 For he came out of the prison house to reign, {since he was born poor in his kingdom}.

15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun with the youth; the second who will stand in his place.

16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before him. Yet the later generation will not rejoice in him, for this also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

New International Version NIV

1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter.

2 And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive.

3 But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

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.

7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!

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

10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.

14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom.

15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor.

16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.