--- title: Ecclesiastes 4 — the Tanakh in Hebrew, Aramaic and English, with trees description: Ecclesiastes chapter 4 of the Tanakh (Ketuvim — the Writings) in Hebrew, Aramaic (the Targum) and English (JPS 1917), every verse with its syntax tree and pragmatics. It begins: But I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun; and behold the tears of such as were oppres --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/4/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tanakh/) / [Ketuvim](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/) / [Ecclesiastes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/) / chapter 4 # Ecclesiastes 4 17 verses, each with its tree and pragmatics: Hebrew, Aramaic (the Targum) and English (JPS 1917), the English sentence by sentence. - [4:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.1/) — וְשַׁבְתִּֽי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת־כָּל־הָעֲשֻׁקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה ׀ דִּמְעַת הָעֲשֻׁקִים וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם וּמִיַּד עֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם כֹּחַ וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵֽם׃ — But 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. - [4:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.2/) — וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת־הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מִן־הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים עֲדֶֽנָה׃ — Wherefore I praised the dead that are already dead more than the living that are yet alive; - [4:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.3/) — וְטוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עֲדֶן לֹא הָיָה אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־רָאָה אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָע אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ — but better than they both is he that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. - [4:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.4/) — וְרָאִיתִֽי אֲנִי אֶת־כָּל־עָמָל וְאֵת כָּל־כִּשְׁרוֹן הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי הִיא קִנְאַת־אִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ — Again, I considered all labour and all excelling in work, that it is a man's rivalry with his neighbour. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. - [4:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.5/) — הַכְּסִיל חֹבֵק אֶת־יָדָיו וְאֹכֵל אֶת־בְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃ — The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. - [4:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.6/) — טוֹב מְלֹא כַף נָחַת מִמְּלֹא חָפְנַיִם עָמָל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ — Better is a handful of quietness, than both the hands full of labour and striving after wind. - [4:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.7/) — וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה הֶבֶל תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ — Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun. - [4:8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.8/) — יֵשׁ אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי גַּם בֵּן וָאָח אֵֽין־לוֹ וְאֵין קֵץ לְכָל־עֲמָלוֹ גַּם־עֵינוֹ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עֹשֶׁר וּלְמִי ׀ אֲנִי עָמֵל וּמְחַסֵּר אֶת־נַפְשִׁי מִטּוֹבָה גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְעִנְיַן רָע הֽוּא׃ — There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches: 'for whom then do I labour, and bereave my soul of pleasure?' This also is vanity, yea, it is a grievous business. - [4:9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.9/) — טוֹבִים הַשְּׁנַיִם מִן־הָאֶחָד אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ־לָהֶם שָׂכָר טוֹב בַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ — Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. - [4:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.10/) — כִּי אִם־יִפֹּלוּ הָאֶחָד יָקִים אֶת־חֲבֵרוֹ וְאִילוֹ הָֽאֶחָד שֶׁיִּפּוֹל וְאֵין שֵׁנִי לַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃ — For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up. - [4:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.11/) — גַּם אִם־יִשְׁכְּבוּ שְׁנַיִם וְחַם לָהֶם וּלְאֶחָד אֵיךְ יֵחָֽם׃ — Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone? - [4:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.12/) — וְאִֽם־יִתְקְפוֹ הָאֶחָד הַשְּׁנַיִם יַעַמְדוּ נֶגְדּוֹ וְהַחוּט הַֽמְשֻׁלָּשׁ לֹא בִמְהֵרָה יִנָּתֵֽק׃ — And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. - [4:13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.13/) — טוֹב יֶלֶד מִסְכֵּן וְחָכָם מִמֶּלֶךְ זָקֵן וּכְסִיל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַע לְהִזָּהֵר עֽוֹד׃ — Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more. - [4:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.14/) — כִּֽי־מִבֵּית הָסוּרִים יָצָא לִמְלֹךְ כִּי גַּם בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ נוֹלַד רָֽשׁ׃ — For out of prison he came forth to be king; although in his kingdom he was born poor. - [4:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.15/) — רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַחַיִּים הַֽמְהַלְּכִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ עִם הַיֶּלֶד הַשֵּׁנִי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹד תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ — I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the child, the second, that was to stand up in his stead. - [4:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.16/) — אֵֽין־קֵץ לְכָל־הָעָם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה לִפְנֵיהֶם גַּם הָאַחֲרוֹנִים לֹא יִשְׂמְחוּ־בוֹ כִּֽי־גַם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְרַעְיוֹן רֽוּחַ׃ — There was no end of all the people, even of all them whom he did lead; yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind. - [4:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.4.17/) — שְׁמֹר רַגְלְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ אֶל־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וְקָרוֹב לִשְׁמֹעַ מִתֵּת הַכְּסִילִים זָבַח כִּֽי־אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָֽע׃ — Guard thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be ready to hearken: it is better than when fools give sacrifices; for they know not that they do evil. - ← previous: [Ecclesiastes 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/3/) - next →: [Ecclesiastes 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/5/) - ↑ back to [Ecclesiastes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/)