Ecclesiastes · Young's Literal Translation
Ecclesiastes 4 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.
1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
2 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
2 Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.
3 And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.
3 Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
4 And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
4 Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
5 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
5 The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.
6 'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'
6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.
7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
8 There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
9 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but woe to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?
12 And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.
12 If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.
14 For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.
14 For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
15 I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;
15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.
16 there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ecclesiastes 3:16; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Isaiah 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:16–17; Isaiah 51:23
- 2 Job 3:11–26; Ecclesiastes 2:17; Ecclesiastes 9:4–6
- 3 Luke 23:29; Matthew 24:19; Ecclesiastes 6:3–5; Job 10:18–19; Jeremiah 9:2–3
- 4 1 John 3:12; Ecclesiastes 1:14; Ecclesiastes 2:21; Ecclesiastes 2:26; 1 Samuel 18:29–30
- 5 Isaiah 9:20; Proverbs 6:10–11; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 20:4; Job 13:14
- 6 Proverbs 16:8; Proverbs 15:16–17; Psalm 37:16; Proverbs 17:1
- 7 Ecclesiastes 4:1; Psalm 78:33; Zechariah 1:6
- 8 1 John 2:16; Proverbs 27:20; Luke 12:20; Ecclesiastes 1:8; Matthew 11:28
- 9 Proverbs 27:17; Genesis 2:18; 1 Corinthians 12:18–21; Numbers 11:14; Mark 6:7
- 10 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:18; Galatians 6:1; Isaiah 35:3–4; Job 4:3–4
- 11 1 Kings 1:1–4
- 12 Ephesians 4:3; Daniel 3:16–17
- 13 Proverbs 19:1; 2 Chronicles 25:16; 2 Chronicles 16:9–10; Proverbs 28:15–16; 1 Kings 22:8
- 14 Psalm 113:7–8; Genesis 41:14; Job 5:11; Lamentations 4:20; Genesis 41:33–44
- 15 2 Samuel 15:6
- 16 Ecclesiastes 1:14; 1 Kings 1:40; Ecclesiastes 2:17; 2 Samuel 15:12–13; 1 Kings 1:5–7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences