CHAPTER 4

¹And I went back and saw all the oppression that is done under the sun: the tears of the oppressed who have none to console them, and from the hand of their violent oppressors there is none to console them. ²And I praised the dead, who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive. ³And better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. ⁴And I saw all the toil and all the skilled deeds—that it is a man’s envy of his fellow. This, too, is mere breath and herding the wind. ⁵The fool hugs his hands and eats his own flesh. ⁶Better a palmful of ease than two handfuls of toil and herding the wind. ⁷And I went back and saw mere breath under the sun. ⁸There is one without a second, neither son nor brother he has. And there is no end to his toil, nor is his eye sated with wealth: “And for whom do I toil and deprive myself of good things?” This, too, is mere breath and an evil business. ⁹Two are better than one, for they get good reward for their toil. ¹⁰For if one should fall, the other will lift up his friend. But if the one alone should fall, there is no other to lift him up. ¹¹If two lie together, they are warm, but as for one, how will he be warm? ¹²And if one should attack him, the two will stand against him. And the triple cord will not quickly be snapped. ¹³Better a poor but wise boy than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to be wary. ¹⁴For from the prison-house he came out to be king, for in his kingship, too, the impoverished man was born. ¹⁵I have seen all the living who go about under the sun alongside the next boy who will stand in his place. ¹⁶There is no end to all the people, to all before whom he stood, nor would the ones who came later be happy with him. For this, too, is mere breath and herding the wind.

¹⁷Watch your step when you go to the house of God, for understanding is more favored than the offering of sacrifice by fools, for they do not know even how to do evil.