Passage

Ecclesiastes 4.1-3

Book: Ecclesiastes · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

1. Then I returned and saw 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. 2. Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive; 3. yea, better than them both did I esteem him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. (Ecclesiastes 4:1-5, ASV)

WEB

1. Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. 2. Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive. 3. Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5. The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself. (Ecclesiastes 4:1-5, WEB)

KJV

1. 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. ^{side: Heb. hand} 2. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. 3. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Again, 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. ^{every: Heb. all the rightness of work} ^{for this: Heb. this is the envy of a man from his neighbour} 5. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. (Ecclesiastes 4:1-5, KJV)

YLT

1. And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter. 2. And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive. 3. And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.

And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit. 5. The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh: (Ecclesiastes 4:1-5, YLT)

See this page's graph and discover linked topics

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Notes

Your annotations.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.