Ecclesiastes 4

Holman Christian Standard Bible

4 Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun.^(A) Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them. ² So I admired the dead,^(B) who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive. ³ But better than either of them is the one who has not yet existed,^(C) who has not seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

The Loneliness of Wealth

⁴ I saw that all labor and all skillful work is due to a man’s jealousy of his friend.^(D) This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.^(E)

⁷ Again, I saw futility under the sun: ⁸ There is a person without a companion,^[a] without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches.^(I) “So who am I struggling for,” he asks, “and depriving myself from good?” This too is futile and a miserable task.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. ¹⁰ For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm?^{(J) 12} And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

¹³ Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer pays attention to warnings.^{(K) 14} For he came from prison to be king,^(L) even though he was born poor in his kingdom. ¹⁵ I saw all the living, who move about under the sun, follow^[b] a second youth who succeeds him. ¹⁶ There is no limit to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.^(M)