Ecclesiastes, 4

¹ Again I turned my attention to all the acts of oppression that go on under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and there was no one to comfort them. And their oppressors had the power, and there was no one to comfort them.

² And I congratulated the dead who had already died rather than the living who were still alive.

³ And better off than both of them is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the distressing deeds that are done under the sun.

⁴ And I have seen how much effort^*1 and skillful work spring from rivalry between people; this too is futility, a chasing after the wind.

⁵ The stupid one folds his hands while his flesh wastes away.^*1

⁶ Better is a handful of rest than two handfuls of hard work and chasing after the wind.

⁷ I turned my attention to another example of futility under the sun:

⁸ There is a man who is all alone, without any companion; he has no son or brother, but there is no end to all his hard work. His eyes are never satisfied with riches. But does he ask himself, ‘For whom am I working hard and depriving myself^*1 of good things’? This too is futility and a miserable occupation.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good reward^*1 for their hard work.

¹⁰ For if one of them falls, the other can help his partner up. But what will happen to the one who falls with no one to help him up?

¹¹ Moreover, if two lie down together, they will stay warm, but how can just one keep warm?

¹² And someone may overpower one alone, but two together can take a stand against him. And a threefold cord cannot quickly^*1 be torn apart.

¹³ Better is a poor but wise child than an old but stupid king, who no longer has enough sense to heed a warning.

¹⁴ For he^*1 went out from prison to become king, although in that one’s kingship he was born poor.

¹⁵ I considered all those alive who walk about under the sun, as well as how it goes with the young successor who stands up in the other’s place.

¹⁶ Although there is no end to all his supporters, those who come later will not be happy with him. This too is futility, a chasing after the wind.