Ecclesiastes 4:1~16
¹Again I looked and saw all the oppression 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. ²And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. ³But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. ⁴And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. ⁵The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. ⁶Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. ⁷Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: ⁸There was a man all alone;he had neither son nor brother. There was no endto his toil, yet his eyes were not content withhis wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked,"and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" Thistoo is meaningless-- a miserable business! ⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: ¹⁰If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! ¹¹Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? ¹²Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. ¹³Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning. ¹⁴The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. ¹⁵I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. ¹⁶There 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.