Ecclesiastes 4

Oppression, toil, friendlessness

1Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed –

and they have no comforter;

power was on the side of their oppressors –

and they have no comforter.

2And I declared that the dead,

who had already died,

are happier than the living,

who are still alive.

3But better than both

is the one who has never been born,

who has not seen the evil

that is done under the sun.

4And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

5Fools fold their hands

and ruin themselves.

6Better one handful with tranquillity

than two handfuls with toil

and chasing after the wind.

7Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

8there was a man all alone;

he had neither son nor brother.

There was no end to his toil,

yet his eyes were not content 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!

9Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labour:

10if either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no-one to help them up.

11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

12Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advancement is meaningless

13Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

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Ecclesiastes 4

Is It Better to Be Dead?

1Again I saw that many people are treated badly. I saw their tears, and I saw that there was no one to comfort them. I saw that cruel people had all the power, and I saw that there was no one to comfort the people they hurt. 2I decided that it is better for those who have died than for those who are still alive. 3And it is even better for those who die at birth, because they never saw the evil that is done in this world.#4:3 in this world Literally, “under the sun.”

Why Work So Hard?

4Then I thought, “Why do people work so hard?” I saw people try to succeed and be better than other people. They do this because they are jealous. They don’t want other people to have more than they have. This is senseless. It is like trying to catch the wind.#4:4 trying to catch the wind Or “It is very troubling to the spirit.” The word for “troubling” can also mean “craving,” and the word for “spirit” can also mean “wind.” Also in verse 16.

5Some people say, “It is foolish to fold your hands and do nothing. If you don’t work, you will starve to death.” 6Maybe that is true. But I say it is better to be satisfied with the few things you have than to always be struggling to get more.

7Again I saw something else that didn’t make sense: 8I saw a man who has no family, not a son or even a brother. But he continues to work very hard. He is never satisfied with what he has. And he works so hard that he never stops and asks himself, “Why am I working so hard? Why don’t I let myself enjoy my life?” This is also a very bad and senseless thing.

Friends and Family Give Strength

9Two people are better than one. When two people work together, they get more work done.

10If one person falls, the other person can reach out to help. But those who are alone when they fall have no one to help them.

11If two people sleep together, they will be warm. But a person sleeping alone will not be warm.

12An enemy might be able to defeat one person, but two people can stand back-to-back to defend each other. And three people are even stronger. They are like a rope that has three parts wrapped together—it is very hard to break.

People, Politics, and Popularity

13A young leader who is poor but wise is better than a king who is old but foolish. That old king does not listen to warnings. 14Maybe the young ruler was born a poor man in the kingdom. And maybe he came from prison to rule the country. 15But I have watched people in this life,#4:15 in this life Literally, “under the sun.” and I know this: People will follow that young man. He will become the new king. 16Many people will follow this young man. But later, those same people will not like him. This is also senseless. It is like trying to catch the wind.

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