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Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 — Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

Eccl.4.1-16

¹Again I looked and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun . And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and power was on the side of their oppressors, and they had no comforter. ²So I praised the dead who have already died, more than the living who are still alive. ³But better than both of them is the one who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. ⁴Then I saw that all toil and all skillful work spring from a man's envy of his neighbor. This too is vanity and a striving after wind. ⁵The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh . ⁶Better is one handful with quietness than two handfuls with toil and a striving after wind. ⁷Again I looked and saw vanity under the sun: ⁸There is one who is alone, without a second; he has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are not satisfied with wealth. 'For whom then am I toiling,' he asks, 'and depriving my soul of enjoyment?' This too is vanity and a miserable task. ⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰For if they fall, then one will lift up his companion; but woe to the one who falls and has no second to lift him up. ¹¹Again, if two lie down together, then they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? ¹²And if someone overpowers one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. ¹³Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive a warning. ¹⁴For he came out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his own kingdom. ¹⁵I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second one, who stood in his place. ¹⁶There was no end to all the people, to all those who were before them. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this too is vanity and a striving after wind.

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4/11/2026

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