Ecclesiastes 4:8
Bible › Ecclesiastes › Chapter 4 › Verse 8
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
In other translations
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
Hebrew words
יֵשׁyeshthereH3426אֶחָד'echad[was] one [person]H259וְאֵיןve'einand there notH369שֵׁנִיsheni[was] a secondH8145גַּםgamalsoH1571בֵּןbena sonH1121וָאָחva'achand a brotherH251אֵין־'ein-notH369לוֹlo[belonged] to <the> himוְאֵיןve'einand there notH369קֵץketz[was] an endH7093לְכָל־lekholto allH3605עֲמָלוֹamalotoil hisH5999גַּם־gam-alsoH1571עֵינוֹeinaveye hisH5869לֹא־lo'-notH3808תִשְׂבַּעtisba'it was satisfiedH7646עֹשֶׁר'osherwealthH6239וּלְמִי׀ulemiand for whom?H4310אֲנִי'ani[am] IH589עָמֵל'amela laborerH6001וּמְחַסֵּרumechaserand deprivingH2637אֶת־'et-<obj.>H853נַפְשִׁיnafshiself myH5315מִטּוֹבָהmitovahfrom goodH2896גַּם־gam-alsoH1571זֶהzehthisH2088הֶבֶלhevel[is] futilityH1892וְעִנְיַןve'inyanand [is] a task ofH6045רָעra'evilH7451הוּא׃hu'itH1931
Word by word from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew reads right to left.
Related verses
- 1 John 2:16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
- Proverbs 27:20Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
- Luke 12:20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
- Ecclesiastes 1:8All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
- Ecclesiastes 1:13And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
- Matthew 11:28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
- Isaiah 56:3-53 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4 For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.3 Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.” 4 For this is what the LORD says: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, who choose what pleases Me and hold fast to My covenant— 5 I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial and a name better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
- Ecclesiastes 5:10He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-129 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up! 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
- Genesis 2:18And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, most-voted first.