Ecclesiastes / Oppression, Futility, and the Strength of Companionship

Oppression, Futility, and the Strength of Companionship

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12

Chapter 4

¹ And I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and no comforter for them, and from the hand of their oppressors power, and no comforter for them. ² And I praise the dead who have already died more than the living who are still alive. ³ And better than both of them is good: the one who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil deed that is done under the sun. ⁴ And I saw—I, the LORD—the suffering and toil and all the skill of the workmanship, for it is the jealousy of man from his companion; also this is vanity and affliction of the Spirit of God. ⁵ The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. ⁶ A handful of tranquility is good, better than two handfuls of toil and an evil spirit. ⁷ And I returned and I saw הֶבֶל under the pagan celestial worship object. ⁸ There is one, and there is no second; he also has no son and no brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eye is not satisfied for whom I labor. And my nephesh lacks good. This also is הֶבֶל and an evil matter. ⁹ They are good, the two over the one, who have for them a good reward in their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will raise up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is no second to raise him up. ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they are warm, but how can one be warm? ¹² And if one overpowers him, the two will stand against him; and a threefold cord will not quickly be severed.