Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 4

King James Bible	New American Bible
¹ So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.	¹ Again I considered all the oppressions that take place under the sun: the tears of the victims with none to comfort them! From the hand of their oppressors comes violence, and there is none to comfort them!
² Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.	² And those now dead, I declared more fortunate in death than are the living to be still alive.
³ Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.	³ And better off than both is the yet unborn, who has not seen the wicked work that is done under the sun.
⁴ Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.	⁴ Then I saw that all toil and skillful work is the rivalry of one man for another. This also is vanity and a chase after wind.
⁵ The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.	⁵ "The fool folds his arms and consumes his own flesh"--
⁶ Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.	⁶ Better is one handful with tranquility than two with toil and a chase after wind!
⁷ Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.	⁷ Again I found this vanity under the sun:
⁸ There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.	⁸ a solitary man with no companion; with neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and riches do not satisfy his greed. "For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good things?" This also is vanity and a worthless task.
⁹ Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.	⁹ Two are better than one: they get a good wage for their labor.
¹⁰ For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.	¹⁰ If the one falls, the other will lift up his companion. Woe to the solitary man! For if he should fall, he has no one to lift him up.
¹¹ Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?	¹¹ So also, if two sleep together, they keep each other warm. How can one alone keep warm?
¹² And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.	¹² Where a lone man may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken.
¹³ Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.	¹³ Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows caution;
¹⁴ For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.	¹⁴ for from a prison house one comes forth to rule, since even in his royalty he was poor at birth.
¹⁵ I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.	¹⁵ Then I saw all those who are to live and move about under the sun with the heir apparent who will succeed to his place.
¹⁶ There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.	¹⁶ There is no end to all these people, to all over whom he takes precedence; yet the later generations will not applaud him. This also is vanity and a chase after wind.
	¹⁷ Guard your step when you go to the house of God. Let your approach be obedience, rather than the fools' offering of sacrifice; for they know not how to keep from doing evil.