Ecclesiastes 4:8-12

English Standard Version

⁸ one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his ^(A)eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, ^(B)“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy ^(C)business.

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, ^(D)but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.