American Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 4

1ThenIreturnedוְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיve.Shav.tiH7725andsawH7200alltheoppressionsH6217thataredoneunderthesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121:and,behold,thetearsדִּמְעַ֣תdim.'AtH1832ofsuchaswereoppressedH6231,andtheyhadnocomforterמְנַחֵ֔םme.na.ChemH5162;andonthesideoftheiroppressorsעֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙'o.she.kei.HemH6231therewaspower;buttheyhadnocomforterמְנַחֵֽם׃me.na.ChemH5162.

2WhereforeIpraisedthedeadH4191thathavebeenlongdeadH4191moreמִן־min-H4480thanthelivingthatareyetaliveH2416;

3yea,betterוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896thanthembothdidIesteemhimthathathnotyetbeenH1961,whohathnotseenH7200theevilהָרָ֔עha.Ra'H7451workH4639thatisdoneunderthesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

4ThenIsawH7200alllaborH5999andeveryskilfulworkהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔הha.ma.'a.SehH4639,thatforthisamanH376isenviedofhisneighborמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּme.re.'E.huH7453.Thisalsoגַּם־gam-H1571isvanityH1892andastrivingafterwindרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

5Thefoolהַכְּסִיל֙ha.ke.SilH3684foldethhishandsיָדָ֔יוya.DavH3027together,andeatethhisownfleshבְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃be.sa.RoH1320.

6Betterisahandful,withquietness,thantwohandfulswithlaborH5999andstrivingafterwindרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

7ThenIreturnedוְשַׁ֧בְתִּיve.Shav.tiH7725andsawH7200vanityH1892underthesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8Thereisoneאֶחָד֩'e.ChadH259thatisalone,andhehathnotasecondשֵׁנִ֜יshe.NiH8145; yea,hehathneithersonבֵּ֧ןbenH1121norbrotherוָאָ֣חva.'AchH251;yetistherenoendקֵץ֙ketzH7093ofallhislaborH5999,neitherarehiseyesעֵינ֖וֹei.navH5869satisfiedH7646withrichesH6239.Forwhomthen, saithhe,doIlaborH5999,anddeprivemysoulH5315ofgoodמִטּוֹבָ֔הmi.to.VahH2896?ThisalsoH1571isvanityH1892, yea,itisasore travail.

9Twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147arebetterטוֹבִ֥יםto.VimH2896thanoneהָאֶחָ֑דha.'e.ChadH259,becausetheyhaveagoodט֖וֹבTovH2896rewardשָׂכָ֥רsa.KharH7939fortheirlaborH5999.

10ForiftheyfallH5307,theoneH259willliftuphisfellow;butwoetohimthatisalonewhenhefalleth,andhathnotanothertolifthimup.

11Again,iftwoשְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimH8147lieיִשְׁכְּב֥וּyish.ke.VuH7901together,thentheyhavewarmth;buthowאֵ֥יךְ'eikhH349canoneוּלְאֶחָ֖דu.le.'e.ChadH259bewarmH2552alone?

12Andifamanprevailagainsthimthatisalone,twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147shallwithstandhim;andathreefoldcordisnotquicklyבִמְהֵרָ֖הvim.he.RahH4120broken.

13Betterisapoorמִסְכֵּ֖ןmis.KenH4542andwiseוְחָכָ֑םve.cha.KhamH2450youthיֶ֥לֶדYe.ledH3206thananoldזָקֵן֙za.KenH2205andfoolishkingמִמֶּ֤לֶךְmi.Me.lekhH4428,whoknowethnothowtoreceive admonitionanymore.

14ForoutofprisonhecameH3318forthH3318tobekingלִמְלֹ֑ךְlim.LokhH4427;yea,eveninhiskingdomבְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹbe.mal.khu.ToH4438hewasbornH3205poorרָֽשׁ׃RashH7326.

15IsawH7200allthelivingthatwalkהַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖יםham.ha.le.KhimH1980underthesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121,thattheywerewiththeyouthהַיֶּ֣לֶדhai.Ye.ledH3206,thesecondהַשֵּׁנִ֔יha.she.NiH8145,thatstoodH5975upinhisstead.

16Therewasnoendקֵ֣ץketzH7093ofallthepeopleהָעָ֗םha.'AmH5971,evenofallthemoverwhomhewas:yettheythatcomeaftershallnotrejoiceיִשְׂמְחוּ־yis.me.chu-H8055inhim.SurelythisalsoH1571isvanityH1892andastrivingafterwindרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4

American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain