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Ecclesiastes 4:3-5
Expanded Bible
Ecclesiastes 4:3-5
Expanded Bible
3 But those who have never ·been born [existed; L been]
are better off still;
they have not seen the evil
that is done ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
Why Work So Hard?
4 I ·realized [saw; observed] the reason people ·work hard [toil] and try to succeed: They are jealous of ·each other [L their neighbors]. This, too, is useless [1:2], like chasing the wind.
5 ·Some say it is foolish to fold your hands and do nothing [L Fools fold their hands],
·because you will starve to death [L and consume their own flesh; Prov. 6:9–11; 10:4; 24:30–34].
Ecclesiastes 4:3-5
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 4:3-5
New International Version
3 But 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)
4 And 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)
5 Fools fold their hands(D)
and ruin themselves.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.