Ecclesiastes
Chapter 4
The Preacher looks at life and lists what he finds empty. He sees people crushed by those with power and no one to comfort them, work driven by envy, and a rich man who labors alone with no one to share it. Against that, he sets the value of company: two people help each other stand, stay warm, and hold off an attacker. The chapter ends with a poor, wise young man who rises to be king, and is forgotten by the next crowd.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
1So I looked again at all the cruel things people do here on earth. I saw the tears of people who were treated badly, and no one comforted them. Their oppressors held all the power, and still no one comforted them.
2Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
2So I said that the dead, who have already died, are better off than the living, who are still alive.
3Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
3But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil done here on earth.
4Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
4Then I looked at all the hard work people do, and every job done well. I saw that it comes from envying a neighbor. This is empty too, like chasing the wind.
In the KJV, "vanity" does not mean being proud. It means empty, or pointless. "Vexation of spirit" means chasing after the wind, grabbing at something you can never hold.
5The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
5The fool folds his hands and does nothing, and so he destroys himself.
"Eats his own flesh" is an old way of saying he ruins himself. Because he will not work, he has nothing left.
6Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
6One handful with peace and quiet is better than two handfuls gained by hard work and chasing the wind.
7Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
7Then I looked again, and I saw something else that was empty here on earth.
8There 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.
8There was a man completely alone. He had no child and no brother. Still his work never ended, and his eyes were never satisfied with what he owned. He never asked, "Who am I working for? Why do I keep good things from myself?" This is empty too, and a miserable job.
"Bereave my soul of good" means holding himself back from enjoying anything good.
9Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
9Two are better than one, because together they get more out of their work.
10For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
10If one of them falls, the other can lift him up. But it is bad for the one who falls alone, with nobody to help him up.
11Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
11Also, if two lie down together, they keep each other warm. But how can one person stay warm alone?
12And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
12One person alone can be beaten, but two can stand against an attacker. And a rope made of three strands is not easily broken.
13Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
13A poor but wise young person is better than an old, foolish king who will no longer listen to a warning.
14For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
14The young man came out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in that same kingdom.
15I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
15I watched everyone alive who walks here on earth, and they followed that young man who took the king's place.
16There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
16The crowd who followed him had no end, and neither did all the people before them. Yet those who came later were not glad about him. This is empty too, like chasing the wind.
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