4:1  Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.

4:2  And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.

4:3  But better than both
is he who has not yet been,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.

4:4  And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

4:5  The fool folds his hands
and ruins himself.

4:6  Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil
and chasing after the wind.

4:7  Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

4:8  There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
"For whom am I toiling," he asked,
"and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!

4:9  Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

4:10  If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

4:11  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

4:12  Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

4:13  Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.

4:14  The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom.

4:15  I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor.

4:16  There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.