Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

Ecclesiastes 4
⁵ “Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin.”
⁶ And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”
⁷ I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun.
⁸ This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
⁹ Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.
¹⁰ If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
¹¹ Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?
¹² A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
¹³ It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice.
¹⁴ Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison.
¹⁵ But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth who replaces him.