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Ecclesiastes 4

Ecclesiastes

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Ecclesiastes 4

New American Standard Bible 2020

The Evils of Oppression

1Then I lookedH7200 againH7725 at allH3605 the actsH6217 ofH6217 1oppressionH6217 whichH834 were being doneH6213 underH8478 the sunH8121. And beholdH2009, I saw the tearsH1832 of the oppressedH6231 and that they hadH369 2noH369 oneH369 to comfortH5162 them; and powerH3581 was on the sideH3027 of their oppressorsH6231, but they hadH369 noH369 oneH369 to comfortH5162 them. 2So 3I congratulatedH7623 the deadH4191 whoH7945 are alreadyH3528 deadH4191, moreH4480 thanH4480 the livingH2416 whoH834 are stillH5728 livingH2416. 3But 4betterH2896 off thanH4480 bothH8147 of them is the one whoH834 has neverH3808 existedH1961, whoH834 has neverH3808 seenH7200 the evilH7451 activityH4639 that is doneH6213 underH8478 the sunH8121.

4I have seenH7200 that everyH3605 laborH5999 and everyH3605 5skillH3788 which is doneH4639 is the result of rivalryH7068 between a personH376 and his neighborH7453. ThisH2088 tooH1571 is 6futilityH1892 and strivingH7469 after windH7307. 5The foolH3684 7foldsH2263 his handsH3027 and 8consumesH398 his own fleshH1320. 6One handH3709 fullH4393 of restH5183 is 9betterH2896 thanH4480 two fistsH2651 fullH4393 of laborH5999 and strivingH7469 after windH7307.

7Then I lookedH7200 againH7725 at futilityH1892 underH8478 the sunH8121. 8ThereH3426 wasH3426 a manH259 withoutH369 a 10dependentH8145, havingH369 neitherH1571H369 a sonH1121 norH369 a brotherH251, yet thereH369 wasH369 noH369 endH7093 to allH3605 his laborH5999. IndeedH1571, 11his eyesH5869 wereH7646 not satisfiedH7646 with richesH6239, and he never asked, “And 12for whomH4310 do I laborH6001 and depriveH2637 myselfH5315 of pleasureH2899?” ThisH2088 tooH1571 is futilityH1892, and it is an 13unhappyH7451 taskH6045.

9TwoH8147 are betterH2896 thanH4480 oneH259 becauseH834 they haveH3426 a goodH2896 returnH7725 for their laborH5999; 10for ifH518 14either of them fallsH5307, the oneH259 will liftH6965 upH6965 his companionH2270. But woeH337 to the oneH259 whoH7945 fallsH5307 when thereH369 isH369 notH369 15anotherH8145 to liftH6965 him upH6965! 11FurthermoreH1571, ifH518 twoH8147 lieH7901 downH7901 together they 16keepH2552 warmH2552, but 17howH349 can oneH259 beH2552 warmH2552 alone? 12And ifH518 18one can overpowerH8630 him who is aloneH259, twoH8147 can resistH5975H5048 him. A cordH2339 ofH8027 threeH8027 strands is not quicklyH4120 tornH5423 apartH5423.

13A 19poorH4542 yet wiseH2450 youthH3206 is betterH2896 thanH4480 an oldH2205 and foolishH3684 kingH4428 whoH834 noH3808 longerH5750 knowsH3045 how to receiveH2094 20instructionH2094-- 14for he has comeH3318 21outH3318 of prisonH1004H631 to becomeH4427 kingH4427, evenH1571 thoughH3588 he was bornH3205 poorH7326 in his kingdomH4438. 15I have seenH7200 allH3605 those livingH2416 underH8478 the sunH8121 moveH1980 toH5973 theH5973 sideH5973 ofH5973 the secondH8145 youthH3206 whoH834 22replacesH5975H8478 him. 16ThereH369 isH369 noH369 endH7093 to allH3605 the peopleH5971, to allH3605 whoH834 were beforeH6440 them. EvenH1571 the onesH314 whoH314 will comeH314 laterH314 will not beH8055 happyH8055 with him; for thisH2088 tooH1571 is 23futilityH1892 and strivingH7475 after windH7307.

Notes

  1. 1. Ecclesiastes 4:1 Job 35:9; Ps 12:5; Eccl 3:16; 5:8; Is 5:7 ↩
  2. 2. Ecclesiastes 4:1 Jer 16:7; Lam 1:9 ↩
  3. 3. Ecclesiastes 4:2 Job 3:11-26; Eccl 2:17; 7:1 ↩
  4. 4. Ecclesiastes 4:3 Job 3:11-22; Eccl 6:3; Luke 23:29 ↩
  5. 5. Ecclesiastes 4:4 Eccl 2:21 ↩
  6. 6. Ecclesiastes 4:4 Eccl 1:14 ↩
  7. 7. Ecclesiastes 4:5 Prov 6:10; 24:33 ↩
  8. 8. Ecclesiastes 4:5 Is 9:20 ↩
  9. 9. Ecclesiastes 4:6 Prov 15:16, 17; 16:8 ↩
  10. 10. Ecclesiastes 4:8 Lit second ↩
  11. 11. Ecclesiastes 4:8 Prov 27:20; Eccl 1:8; 5:10 ↩
  12. 12. Ecclesiastes 4:8 Eccl 2:21 ↩
  13. 13. Ecclesiastes 4:8 Eccl 1:13 ↩
  14. 14. Ecclesiastes 4:10 Lit they fall ↩
  15. 15. Ecclesiastes 4:10 Lit a second ↩
  16. 16. Ecclesiastes 4:11 Lit have warmth ↩
  17. 17. Ecclesiastes 4:11 1 Kin 1:1-4 ↩
  18. 18. Ecclesiastes 4:12 Lit he ↩
  19. 19. Ecclesiastes 4:13 Eccl 7:19; 9:15 ↩
  20. 20. Ecclesiastes 4:13 Or warning ↩
  21. 21. Ecclesiastes 4:14 Gen 41:14, 41-43 ↩
  22. 22. Ecclesiastes 4:15 Lit stands in his place ↩
  23. 23. Ecclesiastes 4:16 Eccl 1:14 ↩

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4

New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.