Parallel Verses
World English Bible
There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. "For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment?" This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
New American Standard Bible
There was a certain man without a
King James Version
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.
Holman Bible
There is a person without a companion,
International Standard Version
Consider someone who is alone, having neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his work, and he is never satisfied with wealth. "So for whom do I work," he asks, "and deprive myself of pleasure?" This, too, is pointless and a terrible tragedy.
American Standard Version
There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then,'saith he , do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
Amplified
There was a certain man—without a dependent, having neither a child nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “For whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity (a wisp of smoke, self-conceit); yes, it is a painful effort and an unhappy task.
Bible in Basic English
It 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.
Darby Translation
There is one alone and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and he saith not, For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.
Julia Smith Translation
There is one, and not a second; also a son and brother not to him: and no end to all his labor; also his eye shall not be satisfied with riches: and for whom do I labor and diminish my soul from good? Also this is vanity, and it is an evil labor.
King James 2000
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he has neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither says he, For whom do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a heavy travail.
Lexham Expanded Bible
Sometimes a man is all alone with no companion; he also has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eye is not satisfied with wealth. [He laments,] "For whom am I toiling and depriving {myself} of pleasure?" This also [is] vanity--it is an unhappy business!
Modern King James verseion
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he has neither son nor brother; yet there is no end to all his labor; and his eyes are not satisfied with riches; and he says, For whom do I labor and take good from my soul? This is also vanity. Yes, it is an evil business.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
There is one man, no more but himself alone, having neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of his careful travail, his eyes cannot be satisfied with riches. Yet, doth he not remember himself, and say, "For whom do I take such travail? For whose pleasure do I thus consume away my life?" This is also a vain and miserable thing.
NET Bible
A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is futile and a burdensome task!
New Heart English Bible
There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment? This also is vanity, yes, it is a miserable business.
The Emphasized Bible
Here is one, without a second, even son or brother, he hath none, yet is there no end to all his toil, even his eye, is not satisfied with riches, - neither saith he For whom, am I toiling, and letting my soul want good? Even this, was vanity, yea a vexatious employment, it was!
Webster
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yes, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yes, it is a grievous labor.
Youngs Literal Translation
There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and he saith not, 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
Themes
Company » Those that have no companionship
Eyes » Not satisfied with riches
Labour » fields of activity » Worldly, sometimes disappointing
Riches » Described as » Unsatisfying
Topics
Interlinear
'echad
Sheniy
'ach
`amal
`ayin
Saba`
`amel
Nephesh
References
Fausets
Morish
Word Count of 19 Translations in Ecclesiastes 4:8
Verse Info
Context Readings
Wealth Without Someone With Which To Enjoy It Is Futile
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun. 8 There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. "For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment?" This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business. 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
Names
Cross References
Proverbs 27:20
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man's eyes are never satisfied.
Ecclesiastes 1:8
All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Ecclesiastes 1:13
I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
Psalm 39:6
"Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn't know who shall gather.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn't the Father's, but is the world's.
Genesis 2:18
Yahweh God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
Genesis 15:2-3
Abram said, "Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"
Ecclesiastes 2:23
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
Isaiah 5:8
Woe to those who join house to house, who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!
Isaiah 44:19-20
No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, "I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?"
Isaiah 55:2
Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn't satisfy? listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Isaiah 56:3-5
Neither let the foreigner, who has joined himself to Yahweh, speak, saying, "Yahweh will surely separate me from his people;" neither let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."
Habakkuk 2:5-9
Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous. A haughty man who doesn't stay at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol, and he is like death, and can't be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations, and heaps to himself all peoples.
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
Luke 12:20
"But God said to him, 'You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared -- whose will they be?'