Ecclesiastes 4 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 4 (WEBP)

[1] Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
[2] Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.
[3] Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
[4] Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
[5] The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.
[6] Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.
[7] Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
[8] There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
[9] Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
[10] For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
[11] Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?
[12] If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
[13] Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.
[14] For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
[15] I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.
[16] There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Ecclesiastes 4 (KJVS)

[1] So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
[2] Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
[3] Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
[4] Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
[5] The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
[6] Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
[7] Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
[8] There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
[9] Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
[10] For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
[11] Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
[12] And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
[13] Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
[14] For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
[15] I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
[16] There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 4:1 Heb. hand
Ecclesiastes 4:4a Heb. all the rightness of work
Ecclesiastes 4:4b Heb. this is the envy of a man from his neighbour
Ecclesiastes 4:13 Heb. who knoweth not to be admonished

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Ecclesiastes 4 (BYZ)

[1] Καὶ () ἐπέστρεψα () ἐγὼ () καὶ () εἶδον () σὺν () πάσας () τὰς () συκοφαντίας τὰς () γινομένας () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον· () καὶ () ἰδοὺ () δάκρυον () τῶν () συκοφαντουμένων, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () αὐτοῖς () παρακαλῶν, () καὶ () ἀπὸ () χειρὸς () συκοφαντούντων () αὐτοὺς () ἰσχύς, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () αὐτοῖς () παρακαλῶν. ()
[2] Καὶ () ἐπῄνεσα () ἐγὼ () σὺν () τοὺς () τεθνηκότας () τοὺς () ἤδη () ἀποθανόντας () ὑπὲρ () τοὺς () ζῶντας, () ὅσοι () αὐτοὶ () ζῶσιν () ἕως () τοῦ () νῦν· ()
[3] καὶ () ἀγαθὸς () ὑπὲρ () τοὺς () δύο () τούτους () ὅστις () οὔπω () ἐγένετο, () ὃς () οὐκ () εἶδεν () σὺν () τὸ () ποίημα () τὸ () πονηρὸν () τὸ () πεποιημένον () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον. ()
[4] Καὶ () εἶδον () ἐγὼ () σὺν () πάντα () τὸν () μόχθον () καὶ () σὺν () πᾶσαν () ἀνδρείαν τοῦ () ποιήματος, () ὅτι () αὐτὸ () ζῆλος () ἀνδρὸς () ἀπὸ () τοῦ () ἑταίρου () αὐτοῦ· () καί () γε () τοῦτο () ματαιότης () καὶ () προαίρεσις πνεύματος. ()
[5] Ὁ () ἄφρων () περιέλαβεν τὰς () χεῖρας () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἔφαγεν () τὰς () σάρκας () αὐτοῦ. ()
[6] Ἀγαθὸν () πλήρωμα () δρακὸς ἀναπαύσεως () ὑπὲρ () πλήρωμα () δύο () δρακῶν μόχθου () καὶ () προαιρέσεως πνεύματος. ()
[7] Καὶ () ἐπέστρεψα () ἐγὼ () καὶ () εἶδον () ματαιότητα () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον. ()
[8] Ἔστιν () εἷς, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () δεύτερος, () καί () γε () υἱὸς () καὶ () ἀδελφὸς () οὐκ () ἔστιν () αὐτῷ· () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () περασμὸς τῷ () παντὶ () μόχθῳ () αὐτοῦ, () καί () γε () ὀφθαλμὸς () αὐτοῦ () οὐκ () ἐμπίπλαται () πλούτου. () Καὶ () τίνι () ἐγὼ () μοχθῶ καὶ () στερίσκω τὴν () ψυχήν () μου () ἀπὸ () ἀγαθωσύνης; () Καί () γε () τοῦτο () ματαιότης () καὶ () περισπασμὸς πονηρός () ἐστιν. ()
[9] Ἀγαθοὶ () οἱ () δύο () ὑπὲρ () τὸν () ἕνα, () οἷς () ἔστιν () αὐτοῖς () μισθὸς () ἀγαθὸς () ἐν () μόχθῳ () αὐτῶν· ()
[10] ὅτι () ἐὰν () πέσωσιν, () ὁ () εἷς () ἐγερεῖ () τὸν () μέτοχον () αὐτοῦ, () καὶ () οὐαὶ () αὐτῷ () τῷ () ἑνί, () ὅταν () πέσῃ () καὶ () μὴ () ᾖ () δεύτερος () τοῦ () ἐγεῖραι () αὐτόν. ()
[11] Καί () γε () ἐὰν () κοιμηθῶσιν () δύο, () καὶ () θέρμη () αὐτοῖς· () καὶ () ὁ () εἷς () πῶς () θερμανθῇ; ()
[12] Καὶ () ἐὰν () ἐπικραταιωθῇ ὁ () εἷς, () οἱ () δύο () στήσονται () κατέναντι () αὐτοῦ, () καὶ () τὸ () σπαρτίον τὸ () ἔντριτον οὐ () ταχέως () ἀπορραγήσεται.
[13] Ἀγαθὸς () παῖς () πένης () καὶ () σοφὸς () ὑπὲρ () βασιλέα () πρεσβύτερον () καὶ () ἄφρονα, () ὃς () οὐκ () ἔγνω () τοῦ () προσέχειν () ἔτι· ()
[14] ὅτι () ἐξ () οἴκου () τῶν () δεσμίων () ἐξελεύσεται () τοῦ () βασιλεῦσαι, () ὅτι () καί () γε () ἐν () βασιλείᾳ () αὐτοῦ () ἐγεννήθη () πένης. ()
[15] Εἶδον () σὺν () πάντας () τοὺς () ζῶντας () τοὺς () περιπατοῦντας () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον () μετὰ () τοῦ () νεανίσκου () τοῦ () δευτέρου, () ὃς () στήσεται () ἀντ’ () αὐτοῦ, ()
[16] οὐκ () ἔστιν () περασμὸς τῷ () παντὶ () λαῷ, () τοῖς () πᾶσιν, () ὅσοι () ἐγένοντο () ἔμπροσθεν () αὐτῶν· () καί () γε () οἱ () ἔσχατοι () οὐκ () εὐφρανθήσονται () ἐν () αὐτῷ· () ὅτι () καί () γε () τοῦτο () ματαιότης () καὶ () προαίρεσις πνεύματος. ()

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, LLC, Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.