Ecclesiastes 4

4 ¹ Again I looked and saw all the oppression that takes place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors, and there was no one to comfort them. ² So I declared the dead, who had already died, happier than the living, who are still alive. ³ But better than both is the one who has never yet been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. ⁴ Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person's envy of another. This too is fleeting, a chasing after the wind. ⁵ The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. ⁶ Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and a chasing after the wind.

⁷ Again I saw something fleeting under the sun:

⁸ There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet he was never content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is fleeting—a miserable business!

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: ¹⁰ If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? ¹² Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

The Wise Youth and the Foolish King

¹³ Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. ¹⁴ The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within that kingdom. ¹⁵ I saw all the living who move about under the sun following the youth, the king's successor. ¹⁶ There was no end to all the people who were before him. But those who came later were not pleased with him. This too is fleeting, a chasing after the wind.