Ecclesiastes 4

Revised Geneva Translation

4 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the Sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed. And no one comforts them. And lo, the strength is in the hand of those who oppress them. Yet no one comforts them.

² Therefore, I praised the dead who are already dead above the living who are still alive.

³ And I count him who has not even been born as better than them both. For he has not seen the evil works which are wrought under the Sun.

⁴ Also I beheld all work, and all perfection of work, and that this is the envy of a man against his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping at the wind.

⁵ The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

⁶ Better is a handful with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and grasping at the wind.

⁷ Again I returned and saw vanity under the Sun.

⁸ There is one who has neither son nor brother. And there is no second. Still, there is no end of all his travail. Nor can his eye be satisfied with riches. Nor does he think, “For whom do I travail and defraud my soul of pleasures?” This also is vanity. This is an evil travail.

⁹ Two are better than one. They have a good reward for their labor.

¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone. For he falls, and there is not a second to lift him up.

¹¹ Also if two sleep together, then they shall have heat. But how would there be heat for one?

¹² And though one is overcome, two shall stand. And a threefold cord is not easily broken.

¹³ Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king who will no longer be admonished.

¹⁴ For he comes forth to reign from prison, though he was born poor in his kingdom.

¹⁵ I beheld all the living who walk under the Sun with the second child, who shall stand up in his place.

¹⁶ There is no end of all the people who were before them. And those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this is also vanity and grasping at the wind.

¹⁷ Guard your step when you enter into the House of God and be near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they do not know that they do evil.