Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 4

¹ I Come again to contemplate all the oppression that is committed under sun. Take for instance the tears of the oppressed, with no one to protect them; the power their oppressors wield. No one to protect them!

² So, rather than the living who still have lives to live, I salute the dead who have already met death;

³ happier than both of these is he who is yet unborn and has not seen the evil things that are done under the sun.

⁴ I see that all effort and all achievement spring from men’s mutual jealousy. This, too, is vanity and chasing of the wind.

⁵ The fool folds his arms and eats his own flesh away.

⁶ Better one handful of repose than two hands full of effort in chasing the wind.

⁷ And I observe another vanity under the sun:

⁸ a man is quite alone – no son, no brother; and yet there is no end to his efforts, his eyes can never have their fill of riches. For whom, then, do I work so hard and grudge myself pleasure? This, too, is vanity, a sorry business.

⁹ Better two than one by himself, since thus their work is really profitable.

¹⁰ If one should fall, the other helps him up; but woe to the man by himself with no one to help him up when he falls down.

¹¹ Again: they keep warm who sleep two together, but how can a man keep warm alone?

¹² Where one alone would be overcome, two will put up resistance; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³ Better a lad beggarly yet wise, than a king old yet foolish who will no longer take advice.

¹⁴ The lad may well step from prison to the throne, or have been born a beggar in the kingdom he now owns.

¹⁵ I observe that all who live and move under the sun side with that lad, the usurper who has succeeded.

¹⁶ He takes his place at the head of innumerable subjects; sad, if later no one has cause to be glad of him. This too, most certainly, is vanity and chasing of the wind.

¹⁷ When you go to the Temple, be on your guard. Go near so that you can hear; the sacrifice is more valuable than the offering of fools, even if they are unaware of doing wrong.