American Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 4:1-8

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.

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American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain