Ecclesiastes 4:4-13

⁴I observed that every skill in work comes from competition with others. Once again this is hard to understand, like trying to hold on to the elusive wind.

⁵Fools fold their arms and do nothing—so in the end they're all used up.

⁶It's better to earn a little without stress than a lot with too much stress and chasing after the wind.

⁷Then I turned to consider something else here on earth that is also frustratingly hard to understand.

⁸What about someone who has no family to help him, no brother or son, who works all the time, but isn't satisfied with the money he makes. “Who am I working for?” he asks himself. “Why am I preventing myself from enjoying life?” Such a situation is hard to explain—it's an evil business!

⁹Two are better than one, for they can help each other in their work.

¹⁰If one of them falls down, the other can help them up, but how sad it is for someone who falls down and doesn't have anyone to help them up.

¹¹In the same way, if two people lie down together, they keep each other warm, but you can't keep yourself warm if you're alone.

¹²Someone fighting against one other person may win, but not if they are fighting against two. A cord made of three strands can't be torn apart quickly.

¹³A poor young person who's wise is better than an old and foolish king who no longer accepts advice.