Ecclesiastes 4:5-15

⁵A fool foldeth together his hands, and eateth his flesh,

⁶and saith, Better is an handful, with rest, than ever either hand full, with travail and torment of soul.

⁷I beheld and found also another vanity under the sun;

⁸one there is, and he hath not a second; neither a son, nor a brother; and nevertheless he ceaseth not to travail, neither his eyes be filled with riches; neither he bethinketh him, and saith, To whom travail I, and deceive my soul in goods? In this also is vanity, and the worst torment.

⁹Therefore it is better, that two be together than one; for they have profit of their fellowship.

¹⁰If one falleth down, he shall be underset of the tother; woe to him that is alone, for when he falleth, he hath none to raise him up.

¹¹And if twain sleep together, they shall be nourished together; how shall one be made hot?

¹²And if any man hath the mastery against one, twain or two against-stand him; a threefold cord is broken of hard.

¹³A poor man and wise is better than an eld or old king and foolish, that cannot before-see into time to coming or after.

¹⁴For sometime a man goeth out, both from prison and chains, to a realm; and another, born into a realm, is wasted by neediness.

¹⁵I saw all men living that go under the sun, with the second young waxing man, that shall rise for him.