Ecclesiastes 4:1-12

New American Standard Bible

The Evils of Oppression

4 Then I looked again at all the acts of ^(A)oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold, I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had ^(B)no one to comfort them; and power was on the side of their oppressors, but they had no one to comfort them. ² So ^(C)I congratulated the dead who are already dead, more than the living who are still living. ³ But ^(D)better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

⁴ I have seen that every labor and every ^(E)skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a person and his neighbor. This too is ^(F)futility and striving after wind. ⁵ The fool ^(G)folds his hands and ^(H)consumes his own flesh. ⁶ One hand full of rest is ^(I)better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

⁷ Then I looked again at futility under the sun. ⁸ There was a man without a ^[a]dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, ^(J)his eyes were not satisfied with riches, and he never asked, “And ^(K)for whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is futility, and it is an ^(L)unhappy task.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; ¹⁰ for if ^[b]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not ^[c]another to lift him up! ¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they ^[d]keep warm, but ^(M)how can one be warm alone? ¹² And if ^[e]one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.