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Ecclesiastes 4:13-15
New English Translation
Ecclesiastes 4:13-15
New English Translation
Labor Motivated by Prestige Seeking
13 A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king
who no longer knows how to receive advice.
14 For he came out of prison[a] to become king,
even though he had been born poor in what would become his[b] kingdom.
15 I considered all the living who walk on earth,[c]
as well as the successor[d] who would arise[e] in his place.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 4:14 tn Heb “came from the house of bonds.”
- Ecclesiastes 4:14 tn The phrase “what would become” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. However, it is not altogether clear whether the third person masculine singular suffix (“his”) on בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ (bemalkhuto, “his kingdom”) refers to the old foolish king or to the poor but wise youth of 4:13.
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 tn Heb “under the sun.”
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 tn Heb “the second youth.” It is not clear whether “the second” (הַשֵּׁנִי, hasheni) refers to the young man who succeeds the old king or a second youthful successor.
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 tn The verb עָמַד (ʿamad, “to stand”) may denote “to arise; to appear; to come on the scene” (e.g., Ps 106:30; Dan 8:22, 23; 11:2-4; 12:1; Ezra 2:63; Neh 7:65); cf. BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד 6.a; HALOT 840 s.v. עמד 1.a.
New English Translation (NET)
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