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Ecclesiastes 4
Expanded Bible
Ecclesiastes 4
Expanded Bible
Is It Better to Be Dead?
4 Again I saw all the people who were ·mistreated [oppressed] ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
I saw ·their tears [L the tears of the oppressed]
and that they had no one to comfort them.
·Cruel people had [Oppressors have] all the power,
and there was no one to comfort those they hurt.
2 I ·decided that the dead
are better off than the living [L praised the dead who were already dead more than the living who are still alive].
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].
6 ·Maybe so, but I say it is better to be content
with what little you have [L Better one handful with rest].
·Otherwise, you will always be struggling for more [L …than two handfuls with hard work/toil; Prov. 15:15; 16:8; 17:1],
and that is like chasing the wind.
7 ·Again I [L I turned and] saw something ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3] that was useless [1:2]:
8 ·I saw a man who had no family [L There was one, but not a second],
no son or brother.
·He always worked hard [L There was no end to all his hard work/toil]
but ·was never satisfied with what he had [L his eye was never satisfied with his work].
He ·never asked [or asked] himself, “For whom am I ·working so hard [toiling]?
Why ·don’t I let myself enjoy life [L do I deprive myself of good]?”
This also is ·very sad [or an evil task/occupation] and useless [1:2].
Friends and Family Give Strength
9 Two people are better than one,
because they get ·more done by working together [L a good return for their hard work/toil].
10 If one falls down,
the other can help ·him [L his colleague] up.
But it is ·bad [a pity] for the person who is alone and falls,
because no one is there to help.
11 If two lie down together, they will be warm,
but a person alone will not be warm.
12 ·An enemy [L Someone] might ·defeat [overpower] one person,
but two people together can ·defend themselves [L stand up against them];
·a rope that is woven of three strings is hard to break [T a three-stranded cord does not quickly snap; C having a friend is good, having more friends is better].
Fame and Power Are Useless
13 A poor but wise ·boy [youth] is better than a foolish but old king who doesn’t listen to advice [Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 20:18; 24:6]. 14 The ·boy [youth] became king. He had been born poor in the kingdom and had even gone to prison before becoming king. 15 I ·watched [saw; observed] all the people who ·lived on earth [L walked under the sun; 1:3] follow ·him and make him their king [or the next youth who replaced the first youth/L him]. 16 ·Many followed him at first [L There was no end to all the people, to all those whom he led], but later, they did not like him, either. ·So fame and power are [L This is] useless [1:2], like chasing the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 4
New International Version
Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness
4 Again I looked and saw all the oppression(A) that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.(B)
2 And I declared that the dead,(C)
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.(D)
3 But better than both
is the one who has never been born,(E)
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.(F)
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.(G)
5 Fools fold their hands(H)
and ruin themselves.
6 Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil(I)
and chasing after the wind.
7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content(J) with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Advancement Is Meaningless
13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
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.