Ecclesiastes 4:8
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Alone Bereave Business Child Deprive End Enjoyment Eye Eyes Good Labor Miserable Riches Satisfied Second Sore Soul Travail Vanity Wealth
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Alone Bereave Business Child Deprive End Enjoyment Eye Eyes Good Labor Miserable Riches Satisfied Second Sore Soul Travail Vanity Wealth
Parallel Verses
English Standard Version
one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

New American Standard Bible
There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, "And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?" This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.

King James Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
There is a person without a companion, without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches. "So who am I struggling for," he asks, "and depriving myself from good?" This too is futile and a miserable task.

International Standard Version
Consider someone who is alone, having neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his work, and he is never satisfied with wealth. "So for whom do I work," he asks, "and deprive myself of pleasure?" This, too, is pointless and a terrible tragedy.

NET Bible
A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is futile and a burdensome task!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
There are people who are all alone. They have no children or other family members. So there is no end to all the hard work they have to do. Their eyes are never satisfied with riches. But [they never ask themselves] why they are working so hard and depriving themselves of good things. Even this is pointless and a terrible tragedy.

King James 2000 Bible
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he has neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither says he, For whom do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a heavy travail.

American King James Version
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yes, he has neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither said he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yes, it is a sore travail.

American Standard Version
There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then,'saith he , do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Douay-Rheims Bible
There is but one, and he hath not a second, no child, no brother, and yet he ceaseth not to labour, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches, neither doth he reflect, saying: For whom do I labour, and defraud my soul of good things? in this also is vanity, and a grievous vexation.

Darby Bible Translation
There is one alone and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and he saith not, For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.

English Revised Version
There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labour, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Webster's Bible Translation
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yes, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yes, it is a grievous labor.

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and he saith not, 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
Lexicon
There is
yesh  (yaysh)
entity; used adverbially or as a copula for the substantive verb; there is or are
one
'echad  (ekh-awd')
united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
alone and there is not a second
sheniy  (shay-nee')
double, i.e. second; also adverbially, again -- again, either (of them), (an-)other, second (time).
yea he hath neither child
ben  (bane)
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc.
nor brother
'ach  (awkh)
a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like 1) -- another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.
yet is there no end
qets  (kates)
an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after -- + after, (utmost) border, end, (in-)finite, process.
of all his labour
`amal  (aw-mawl')
toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind
neither is his eye
`ayin  (ah'-yin)
an eye; by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
satisfied
saba`  (saw-bah')
to sate, i.e. fill to satisfaction -- have enough, fill (full, self, with), be (to the) full (of), have plenty of, be satiate, satisfy (with), suffice, be weary of.
with riches
`osher  (o'-sher)
wealth -- far (richer), riches.
neither saith he For whom do I labour
`amel  (aw-male')
toiling; concretely, a laborer; figuratively, sorrowful -- that laboureth, that is a misery, had taken (labour), wicked, workman.
and bereave
chacer  (khaw-sare')
to lack; by implication, to fail, want, lessen -- be abated, bereave, decrease, (cause to) fail, (have) lack, make lower, want.
my soul
nephesh  (neh'-fesh)
a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
of good
towb  (tobe)
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun
This is also vanity
hebel  (heh'bel)
emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb -- altogether, vain, vanity.
yea it is a sore
ra`  (rah)
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
travail
`inyan  (in-yawn')
ado, i.e. (generally) employment or (specifically) an affair -- business, travail.
Multilingual
Ecclésiaste 4:8 French

Eclesiastés 4:8 Biblia Paralela

傳 道 書 4:8 Chinese Bible

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