Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
9 Two are better than one: They get a good wage for their toil. 10 If the one falls, the other will help the fallen one. But woe to the solitary person! If that one should fall, there is no other to help. 11 So also, if two sleep together, they keep each other warm. How can one alone keep warm? 12 Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord[a] is not easily broken.
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- 4:12 A three-ply cord: an ancient proverb known centuries before biblical times. The progression (“two together…three-ply”) seems to imply, “If two are good, three are even better.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Value of a Friend
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Good News Translation
9 Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. 10 If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him. 11 If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself 12 Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.
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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
New American Standard Bible
9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; 10 for if [a]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not [b]another to lift him up! 11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they [c]keep warm, but (A)how can one be warm alone? 12 And if [d]one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
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- Ecclesiastes 4:10 Lit they fall
- Ecclesiastes 4:10 Lit a second
- Ecclesiastes 4:11 Lit have warmth
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 Lit he
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