Ecclesiastes 4:3-5

English Standard Version

³But ^(A)better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

⁴Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is ^(B)vanity^[a] and a striving after wind.

⁵The fool ^(C)folds his hands and ^(D)eats his own flesh.

Ecclesiastes 4:4 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 7, 8, 16 (see note on 1:2)

Ecclesiastes 4:3-5

New International Version

³But better than both
is the one who has never been born,^(A)
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.^(B)

⁴And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^(C)

⁵Fools fold their hands^(D)
and ruin themselves.

English Standard Version (ESV)

New International Version (NIV)