| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. | 1Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter. |
| 2So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. | 2So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive. |
| 3But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun. | 3But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. |
| 4I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. | 4I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. |
| 5The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. | 5The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. |
| 6One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. | 6Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind. |
| 7Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. | 7Again, I saw futility under the sun. |
| 8There 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. | 8There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task. |
| 9Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. | 9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. |
| 10For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. | 10For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up! |
| 11Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? | 11Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? |
| 12And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. | 12And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. |
| 13A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction. | 13Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning. |
| 14For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. | 14For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom. |
| 15I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him. | 15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king. |
| 16There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind. | 16There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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