Ecclesiastes 4:8
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.
Context
This verse from Ecclesiastes Chapter 4 connects to 10 cross-references. Qohelet observes oppression — the tears of the oppressed without a comforter — and declares the dead better off than the living. He meditates on the rivalry that motivates toil, the loneliness of those with no companion, and the vulnerability …
Other Translations
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.
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 <FI>he saith not<Fi> , `For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
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.
Cross References
Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than …
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly …
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken …
He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is …
And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it …
Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they …
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the …
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also …
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.