⁷ Then I looked again at futility under the sun. ⁸ There was a man without a ^[a]dependent, 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 he never asked, “And ^(B)for whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is futility, and it is an ^(C)unhappy task.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; ¹⁰ for if ^[b]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not ^[c]another to lift him up! ¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they ^[d]keep warm, but ^(D)how can one be warm alone? ¹² And if ^[e]one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.