Ecclesiastes 4:7-16

New American Standard Bible 1995

⁷ Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. ⁸ There was a certain man without a ^[a]dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, ^(A)his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And ^(B)for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a ^(C)grievous 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 ^(D)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.

¹³ A ^(E)poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive ^[f]instruction. ¹⁴ For he has come ^(F)out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. ¹⁵ I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who ^[g]replaces him. ¹⁶ There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is ^(G)vanity and striving after wind.