Ecclesiastes 4:6-8
Lexham English Bible
6 Better is one handful with peace
than two fists full with toil and chasing wind.
Wealth without Someone with Which to Enjoy It is Futile
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[a] of pleasure?” This also is vanity—it is an unhappy business!
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- Ecclesiastes 4:8 Literally “his soul”
Ecclesiastes 4:6-8
New King James Version
6 (A)Better a handful with quietness
Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.
7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:
8 There is one alone, without [a]companion:
He has neither son nor brother.
Yet there is no end to all his labors,
Nor is his (B)eye satisfied with riches.
But (C)he never asks,
“For whom do I toil and deprive myself of (D)good?”
This also is vanity and a [b]grave misfortune.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 Lit. a second
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 Lit. evil task
Ecclesiastes 4:6-8
English Standard Version
6 (A)Better is a handful of (B)quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
7 (C)Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his (D)eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, (E)“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy (F)business.
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Ecclesiastes 4:6-8
King James Version
6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
