⁷ Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. ⁸ There was a certain man without a second man, 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 ^(B)for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of good?” This too is vanity, and it is a ^(C)grievous endeavor.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have good wages 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 a second one to lift him up. ¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they ^[b]keep warm, but ^(D)how can one be warm alone? ¹² And if ^[c]one can overpower him who is alone, two can stand against him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.