New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

7Then I lookedוָאֶרְאֶ֥הva.'er.'EhH7200againוְשַׁ֧בְתִּיve.Shav.tiH7725at futilityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8ThereH3426wasH3426a manאֶחָד֩'e.ChadH259withoutH369adependentשֵׁנִ֜יshe.NiH8145,havingH369neitherגַּ֣םgamH1571 H369a sonבֵּ֧ןbenH1121norH369a brotherוָאָ֣חva.'AchH251,yet thereH369wasH369noH369endקֵץ֙ketzH7093to allלְכָל־le.kholH3605his laborעֲמָל֔וֹa.ma.LoH5999.Indeedגַּם־gam-H1571,his eyesעֵינ֖וֹei.navH5869wereH7646not satisfiedH7646with richesעֹ֑שֶׁר'O.sherH6239, and he never asked, “Andfor whomוּלְמִ֣י׀u.le.MiH4310do I laborעָמֵ֗ל'a.MelH6001and depriveוּמְחַסֵּ֤רu.me.cha.SerH2637myselfנַפְשִׁי֙naf.ShiH5315of pleasureH2899?”Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571is futilityהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892, and it is anunhappyרָ֖עra'H7451taskוְעִנְיַ֥ןve.'in.YanH6045.

9Twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147are betterטוֹבִ֥יםto.VimH2896thanמִן־min-H4480oneהָאֶחָ֑דha.'e.ChadH259becauseאֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.SherH834they haveיֵשׁ־yesh-H3426a goodט֖וֹבTovH2896returnH7725for their laborבַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ba.'a.ma.LamH5999;

10for ifאִם־'im-H518either of them fallsיִפֹּ֔לוּyi.Po.luH5307,the oneהָאֶחָ֖דha.'e.ChadH259will liftH6965upH6965his companionחֲבֵר֑וֹcha.ve.RoH2270.But woeוְאִ֣יל֗וֹve.'I.LoH337to the oneהָֽאֶחָד֙ha.'e.ChadH259whoH7945fallsשֶׁיִּפּ֔וֹלshei.yi.PolH5307when thereH369isH369notH369anotherשֵׁנִ֖יshe.NiH8145to liftH6965him upH6965!

11Furthermoreגַּ֛םgamH1571,ifאִם־'im-H518twoשְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimH8147lieיִשְׁכְּב֥וּyish.ke.VuH7901downH7901together theykeepH2552warmוְחַ֣םve.ChamH2552, buthowאֵ֥יךְ'eikhH349can oneוּלְאֶחָ֖דu.le.'e.ChadH259beH2552warmיֵחָֽם׃ye.ChamH2552alone?

12And ifוְאִֽם־ve.'im-H518one can overpowerיִתְקְפוֹ֙yit.ke.FoH8630him who is aloneהָאֶחָ֔דha.'e.ChadH259,twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147can resistיַעַמְד֣וּ נֶגְדּ֑וֹya.'am.Du neg.DoH5975 H5048him. A cordוְהַחוּט֙ve.ha.ChutH2339ofH8027threeH8027strandsis not quicklyבִמְהֵרָ֖הvim.he.RahH4120tornיִנָּתֵֽק׃yi.na.TekH5423apartH5423.

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Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4