Ecclesiastes 4:8-10
New International Version
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(A) 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.
Ecclesiastes 4:8-10
New American Standard Bible
8 There was a man without a [a]dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, (A)his eyes were not satisfied with riches, and he never asked, “And (B)for whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is futility, and it is an (C)unhappy task.
9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; 10 for if [b]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not [c]another to lift him up!
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 Lit second
- Ecclesiastes 4:10 Lit they fall
- Ecclesiastes 4:10 Lit a second
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

