Ecclesiastes 4:4-15

⁴And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

⁵The foolish man, folding his hands, takes the flesh of his body for food.

⁶One hand full of rest is better than two hands full of trouble and desire for wind.

⁷Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.

⁸It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.

⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their work.

¹⁰And if one has a fall, the other will give him a hand; but unhappy is the man who is by himself, because he has no helper.

¹¹So again, if two are sleeping together they are warm, but how may one be warm by himself?

¹²And two attacked by one would be safe, and three cords twisted together are not quickly broken.

¹³A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.

¹⁴Because out of a prison the young man comes to be king, though by birth he was only a poor man in the kingdom.

¹⁵I saw all the living under the sun round the young man who was to be ruler in place of the king.