New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3

1Then I lookedוָאֶרְאֶה֙va.'er.'EhH7200againוְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיve.Shav.tiH7725at allכָּל־kol-H3605the actsהָ֣עֲשֻׁקִ֔יםha.'a.shu.KimH6217ofoppressionהָעֲשֻׁקִ֗יםha.'a.shu.KimH6217whichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834were being doneנַעֲשִׂ֖יםna.'a.SimH6213underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121.And beholdוְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ve.hi.NehH2009I sawthe tearsדִּמְעַ֣תdim.'AtH1832of the oppressedH6231and thatthey hadH369noH369oneH369to comfortמְנַחֵ֔םme.na.ChemH5162them;and on the sideוּמִיַּ֤דu.mi.YadH3027of their oppressorsעֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙'o.she.kei.HemH6231was powerכֹּ֔חַKo.achH3581,but they hadH369noH369oneH369to comfortמְנַחֵֽם׃me.na.ChemH5162them.

2SoI congratulatedוְשַׁבֵּ֧חַve.sha.Be.achH7623the deadהַמֵּתִ֖יםha.me.TimH4191whoH7945are alreadyשֶׁכְּבָ֣רshe.ke.VarH3528deadמֵ֑תוּMe.tuH4191moreמִן־min-H4480thanH4480the livingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416whoאֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherH834are stillעֲדֶֽנָה׃'a.De.nahH5728livingחַיִּ֖יםchai.YimH2416.

3Butbetterוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896offthanH4480bothמִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔םmi.she.nei.HemH8147of them is the one whoH834has neverלֹ֣אlo'H3808existedהָיָ֑הha.YahH1961,whoH834has neverלֹֽא־lo'-H3808seenרָאָה֙ra.'AhH7200the evilהָרָ֔עha.Ra'H7451activityהַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣הha.ma.'a.SehH4639that is doneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 4

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4