Online Bible

Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4

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Ecclesiastes 4 NWT - New World TranslationEcclesiastes 4 NWT - New World Translation

Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes—New World Translation (NWT)

  1. ¶ And I myself returned that I might see all the acts of oppression1 that are being done under the sun, and, look! the tears of those being oppressed,2 but they had no comforter;3 and on the side of their oppressors there was power, so that they had no comforter.
  2. And I congratulated the dead who had already died rather than the living who were still alive.4
  3. So better than both of them [is] the one who has not yet come to be,5 who has not seen the calamitous work that is being done under the sun.6
  4. ¶ And I myself have seen all the hard work and all the proficiency in work,7 that it means the rivalry of one[a] toward another;8 this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.
  5. ¶ The stupid one is folding his hands9 and is eating his own flesh.10
  6. ¶ Better is a handful of rest than a double handful of hard work and striving after the wind.11
  7. ¶ I myself returned that I might see the vanity under the sun:
  8. There exists one, but not a second one;12 also no son or brother does he have,13 but there is no end to all his hard work. Also, his eyes themselves are not satisfied with riches:14 “And for whom am I working hard and causing my soul to lack in good things?”15 This too is vanity, and it is a calamitous occupation.16
  9. ¶ Two are better than one,17 because they have a good reward for their hard work.18
  10. For if one of them should fall, the other one can raise his partner up.19 But how will it be with just the one[b] who falls when there is not another to raise him up?20
  11. ¶ Moreover, if two lie down together, they also will certainly get warm; but how can just one keep warm?21
  12. And if somebody could overpower one alone, two together could make a stand against him.22 And a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn in two.
  13. ¶ Better is a needy but wise child23 than an old but stupid king,24 who has not come to know enough to be warned any longer.25
  14. For he has gone forth from the prison house itself to become king,26 although in the kingship of this one he had been born as one of little means.27
  15. I have seen all those alive who are walking about under the sun, [how it goes] with the child, who is second, that stands up in the other one’s place.28
  16. There is no end to all the people, to all those before whom he[c] happened to be;29 neither will people afterward rejoice in him,30 for this too is vanity and a striving after the wind.31

FOOTNOTES

  1. ^ “One.” Heb., ʼish.
  2. ^ Or, “But woe to just the one!”
  3. ^ Or, “they,” that is, “the people.”

REFERENCES

  1. ^ Jb 35:9; Am 4:1; Mc 2:2
  2. ^ Ps 42:9; 102:9; Jm 5:4
  3. ^ Ps 69:20; 142:4; 2Ti 4:16
  4. ^ Jb 3:17; Ec 2:17
  5. ^ Je 20:18; Lu 23:29
  6. ^ Ps 55:9; Ec 1:14; Je 9:3; Ho 4:2
  7. ^ Ec 2:21
  8. ^ Ge 4:5; Mt 27:18; Ga 5:26; Jm 4:5; 1Jo 3:12
  9. ^ Pr 6:10; 20:4; 24:33; Eph 4:28
  10. ^ Pr 6:11
  11. ^ Ps 37:16; Pr 15:16; 16:8; 17:1
  12. ^ Ge 2:18
  13. ^ Ge 15:2; Nu 27:10
  14. ^ Pr 27:20; Ec 5:10
  15. ^ Ps 39:6; Lu 12:19
  16. ^ Ec 2:23
  17. ^ Ge 2:18; 1Sa 23:16; Pr 27:17; Ac 13:2
  18. ^ Jn 4:36
  19. ^ Jb 4:4; Ga 6:1
  20. ^ 1Sa 23:16
  21. ^ 1Ki 1:2
  22. ^ 1Sa 14:7
  23. ^ Pr 19:1; 28:6; Ec 9:15
  24. ^ Pr 28:16
  25. ^ 1Ki 22:8; 2Ch 25:16
  26. ^ Ge 41:14, 40
  27. ^ 2Sa 7:8; Jb 5:11; Ps 113:8
  28. ^ 1Ki 3:7; 2Ki 21:24
  29. ^ 1Ki 1:40
  30. ^ 2Sa 20:1; 1Ki 12:4
  31. ^ Ec 2:11

Read Ecclesiastes Chapter 4 in other Bible versions:

Comments

  1. David yakubuDavid yakubu
    Oct 29, 2022 08:05 GMT

    When i do read some comments and seeing that its the same people that are supposed to be called believers but are talking ill of other denominations, it hurts. Let us all remember that We should judge not

    1. jonas smithjonas smith
      Apr 23, 2023 02:57 GMT

      The bible tells us to test the spirits. Satan disguises himself as angel of light. So yes some denomination are not teaching the truth. You are responsible for judging which ones are not. You have to judge the truth at all times. this is what the bible teaches

  2. THTH
    Apr 7, 2021 00:20 GMT

    The NWT is a very good translation. Dr. Jason David BeDuhn PhD attests to that in his book Truth in Translation. drive.google.com/...5p16melHzg8/view

    1. James LernerJames Lerner
      Jul 20, 2024 09:48 GMT

      The NWT is Satanic filth to its very core.

      The JW Cult is Satanic to its very core.

      Praise Yahweh I will never be a victim of JW brainwashing. If I burn in Hell for eternity or I am ultimately annihilated so be it

      May Yahweh's curse rest on the Watchtower Society and its Satanic leadership

    2. jim mcleodjim mcleod
      Aug 22, 2021 06:16 GMT

      NWT is a false translation that takes away from the deity of Jesus !

  3. SlightlyChaoticSlightlyChaotic
    Jan 30, 2021 16:33 GMT

    Thank you for taking the time to provide this service. I like seeing the NASB on your web page in the same format as I read on paper. On other sites, the text area is smaller, and so I have to keep scrolling down to read and sometimes I lose the context. So I really appreciate the format.

    As far as the NWT, you are certainly free to do whatever you think best with your own web pages. I'd suggest that you make a note anytime you have a translation that is associated with only one denomination or church, for example:
    New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness version).

    In Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares. the main idea seems to be that you can't easily distinguish between God's people and not-God's people on this earth, so our Lord's response is to wait until they are shown to be the kind of people they are inside. But the NWT seems like false teaching to me. So I think the warning passages from Jesus' apostles are more applicable, as in 2 Peter 3:15-16, when he talks about Paul's writings:
    "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures."
    And we also have the positive exhortations, as in 2 Timothy 2:15:
    "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

    1. BroderickBroderick
      Jan 31, 2021 00:57 GMT

      Your suggestion regarding the denominational flagging is duly noted. But I can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t a Catholic also want “Protestant versions” marked as well?

      As for the parable, I’m pretty sure the slaves were convinced in their own minds that they could tell the tares from the wheat. After all, aren’t they the ones who identified the problem in the first place? But the master obviously thought otherwise.

      Furthermore, even at the time when Jesus himself was walking the earth, not everybody who claimed fellowship actually followed him causing John to inquire at Mark 9:39, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him . . . for he who is not against us is for us.”

  4. Joshua HarderJoshua Harder
    Dec 11, 2020 17:48 GMT

    Hello, question.. why have you included the NWT with other legitimate bible translations? Or why have you not atleast included a warning to readers? Don't you fear that someone could be influenced by the Watchtower's intentional heresies? Thank you.

    1. KevinKevin
      Jul 11, 2021 17:45 GMT

      en.m.wikipedia.org/..._Holy_Scriptures

      See the section critical review

    2. ChrisChris
      Jan 8, 2021 07:15 GMT

      Please site these intentional heresies. I am well versed in the watch tower outline and agree they are in many ways incorrect but i also bet i can point many out from EVERY established or main denomination. There is much to learn from them all as one who drinks milk?

      Judge not lest ye be judged, that is not to pass judgement on you either brother.

      I debate with scripture. I don't hold it to be true that Michael is Y'Shua HaMeshiach but I also firmly hold it to be true that our G-d and Heavenly Father are not the word encarnate and only begotten son.

      I love not seeing "lord" which i relate to baal. I feel the catholic church is a satanic establishment and I am aware a freemason started the hovies but there are evil in high places and our fight is also with principalities.

      What i'm saying is that in my darkest hours, those two were some of if not the only ones who would bring a Bible and eucharist and pray with me.

      We all fall short of the glory of G-d.

      Don't forget the NWT was recognized as the most accurate translation on Jeopardy.

      Lastly, this is different I noted than the NWT i have read and am very familiar with. Pull up the watchtower page and compare. I truly look forward to getting this one!

  5. julietjuliet
    Aug 17, 2022 09:36 GMT

    the sky is blue

  6. mercymercy
    Aug 12, 2022 21:23 GMT

    i am Mercy, the sky is blue what else do you need

    1. mercymercy
      Aug 12, 2022 21:25 GMT

      i am so sorry, it was a big mistake

  7. God is able to do all thingsGod is able to do all things
    May 17, 2021 17:59 GMT

    Jesus how much love calling yo name

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