Ecclesiastes 4
Slow Suicide
1-3 Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive. But luckier than the dead or the living is the person who has never even been, who has never seen the bad business that takes place on this earth.
4 Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind.
5 The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide.
6 One handful of peaceful repose Is better than two fistfuls of worried work— More spitting into the wind.
Why Am I Working Like a Dog?
7-8 I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, "Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?" More smoke. A bad business.
9-10 It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough!
11 Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night.
12 By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.
13-16 A poor youngster with some wisdom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn't know which end is up. I saw a youth just like this start with nothing and go from rags to riches, and I saw everyone rally to the rule of this young successor to the king. Even so, the excitement died quickly, the throngs of people soon lost interest. Can't you see it's only smoke? And spitting into the wind?
Ecclesiastes 4
1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.2 Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive;3 yea, better than them both did I esteem him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.4 Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.8 There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?12 And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.14 For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor.15 I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.