Ecclesiastes 4

New International Version

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

4 Again I looked and saw all the oppression^(A) 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.^(B)
²And I declared that the dead,^(C)
    who had already died,
are happier than the living,
    who are still alive.^(D)
³But better than both
    is the one who has never been born,^(E)
who has not seen the evil
    that is done under the sun.^(F)

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.^(G)

⁵Fools fold their hands^(H)
    and ruin themselves.
⁶Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil^(I)
    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^(J) 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 labor:
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.

Psalm 35:9-16

New International Version

⁹Then my soul will rejoice^(A) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.^(B)
¹⁰My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you,^(C) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong^(D) for them,
    the poor and needy^(E) from those who rob them.”

¹¹Ruthless witnesses^(F) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
¹²They repay me evil for good^(G)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
¹³Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth^(H)
    and humbled myself with fasting.^(I)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
¹⁴    I went about mourning^(J)
    as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
    as though weeping for my mother.
¹⁵But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;^(K)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered^(L) me without ceasing.
¹⁶Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;^[a]^(M)
    they gnashed their teeth^(N) at me.