Ecclesiastes 4:1

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Again I looked and saw all the oppression that is done under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter. Power was on the side of their oppressors, and they had no comforter.

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power, but they had no comforter.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    So I turned me, and considered all the violent wronge that is done vnder the Sonne: and beholde, the teares of soch as were oppressed, and there was no man to comforte them, or that wolde delyuer and defende them from the violence of their oppressours.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought vnder the sunne, and beholde the teares of the oppressed, and none comforteth them: and lo, the strength is of the hand of them that oppresse them, & none comforteth them.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    So I turned me, and considered all the violent wrong that is done vnder the sunne: and beholde the teares of such as were oppressed, and there was no man to comfort them, or that woulde deliuer and defende them from the violence of their oppressours.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    ¶ So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of [such as were] oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors [there was] power; but they had no comforter.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors `is' power, and they have no comforter.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    Evil Oppression on Earth So I again considered all the oppression that continually occurs on earth. This is what I saw: The oppressed were in tears, but no one was comforting them; no one delivers them from the power of their oppressors.

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 3:16 : 16 And I saw under the sun, in the place of judgment, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well.
  • Eccl 5:8 : 8 The benefit of the land is for everyone; even a king depends on the field being cultivated.
  • Isa 5:7 : 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are the planting of His delight. He expected justice but saw bloodshed; He expected righteousness but heard cries of distress.
  • Lam 1:2 : 2 Bitterly she weeps in the night, tears on her cheeks. There is no one to comfort her—all who loved her have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
  • Lam 1:9 : 9 Her uncleanness clings to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. "Look, LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed."
  • Mal 2:13 : 13 And this is another thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards your offering or accepts it with favor from your hands.
  • Mal 3:5 : 5 I will come near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, and those who swear falsely; against those who defraud workers of their wages, oppress widows and orphans, and deprive foreigners of justice. They do not fear me, says the Lord of Hosts.
  • Mal 3:18 : 18 Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.
  • Matt 26:56 : 56 But all this has taken place so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
  • 2 Tim 4:16-17 : 16 At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully made and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.
  • Jas 5:4 : 4 Look, the wages that you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
  • Isa 51:23 : 23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, 'Bow down so we can walk over you.' You made your back like the ground, like a street for them to walk over.
  • Isa 59:7 : 7 Their feet run to do evil, and they are quick to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful; ruin and destruction are in their paths.
  • Isa 59:13-15 : 13 We have rebelled and denied the LORD; we have turned away from following our God. We speak of oppression and revolt, conceiving lies and uttering them from the heart. 14 Justice is driven back, and righteousness stands far off, for truth has stumbled in the streets, and honesty cannot enter. 15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD saw this and was displeased, for there was no justice.
  • Eccl 7:7 : 7 Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
  • Exod 1:13-14 : 13 The Egyptians forced the Israelites to work as slaves. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor, the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
  • Exod 1:16 : 16 "When you help the Hebrew women give birth and observe them on the birthing stools, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live."
  • Exod 1:22 : 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.
  • Exod 2:23-24 : 23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • Exod 5:16-19 : 16 "No straw is given to your servants, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people." 17 Pharaoh said, "Lazy! That’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.' 18 "Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." 19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you each day."
  • Deut 28:33 : 33 A people you don’t know will eat the fruit of your land and the result of your labor. You will be oppressed and crushed continually.
  • Deut 28:48 : 48 You will serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and total destitution. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
  • Judg 4:3 : 3 The Israelites cried out to the LORD for help, for Sisera had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the Israelites cruelly for twenty years.
  • Judg 10:7-8 : 7 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites. 8 They crushed and oppressed the Israelites that year. For eighteen years, they oppressed all the Israelites who were on the east side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
  • Neh 5:1-5 : 1 There arose a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. 2 Some were saying, 'We, along with our sons and daughters, are numerous. Let us get grain that we may eat and stay alive.' 3 Others were saying, 'We have had to mortgage our fields, vineyards, and houses to get grain during the famine.' 4 Still others were saying, 'We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.' 5 'Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Israelites, and our children are just like theirs, we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, and we are powerless to do anything about it, since our fields and vineyards now belong to others.'
  • Job 6:29 : 29 Relent, let there be no injustice; yes, relent, my righteousness still stands.
  • Job 16:4 : 4 I could also speak as you do, if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.
  • Job 19:21-22 : 21 Have pity on me, have pity on me, my friends, because the hand of God has struck me. 22 Why do you pursue me as God does and are not satisfied with my flesh?
  • Job 24:7-9 : 7 They spend the night naked without clothing, having no covering in the cold. 8 They are drenched by the mountain rains and embrace the rocks for lack of shelter. 9 They snatch the orphan from the breast and take the poor as a pledge. 10 They go about naked without clothing, and they carry sheaves while hungry. 11 They press oil between the rows, they tread the wine presses, yet they go thirsty. 12 From the city, the dying groan, and the life of the wounded cries out, but God does not regard their folly.
  • Job 35:9 : 9 People cry out because of the multitude of oppressions; they plead for help because of the power of the mighty.
  • Ps 10:9-9 : 9 He lies in wait secretly, like a lion in his den; he lies in wait to catch the afflicted; he catches the afflicted by drawing them into his net. 10 He crouches, he bows down, and the helpless fall by his strong claws.
  • Ps 12:5 : 5 Those who say, 'By our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is lord over us?'
  • Ps 42:3 : 3 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
  • Ps 42:9 : 9 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.
  • Ps 69:20 : 20 You know my reproach, my shame, and my disgrace; all my adversaries are before you.
  • Ps 80:5 : 5 LORD God of Hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
  • Ps 102:8-9 : 8 I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on a housetop. 9 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who ridicule me use my name as a curse.
  • Ps 142:4 : 4 When my spirit grows faint within me, You know my path. In the way where I walk, they have hidden a trap for me.
  • Prov 19:7 : 7 All the relatives of a poor person hate him; how much more do his friends avoid him. He pursues them with words, but they are not there.
  • Prov 28:3 : 3 A poor man who oppresses the needy is like a driving rain that leaves no food.
  • Prov 28:15-16 : 15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over helpless people. 16 A ruler lacking understanding is abundant in extortions, but one who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 4:7-8
    2 verses
    79%

    7Again, I turned and saw meaninglessness under the sun.

    8There was a man all alone. He had no son or brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. 'For whom am I toiling,' he asked, 'and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?' This too is meaningless—a miserable business!

  • Eccl 8:9-10
    2 verses
    77%

    9I observed all this as I considered all the work done under the sun: a time when one man has power over another to hurt them.

    10Then I saw the wicked buried, who used to go in and out of the holy place, but now they are forgotten in the city where they acted this way. This too is meaningless.

  • Eccl 4:2-4
    3 verses
    75%

    2And I praised the dead who had already died, more than the living who are still alive.

    3But better than both is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

    4And I saw that all toil and all skill in work are driven by one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 2:10-12
    3 verses
    75%

    10Anything my eyes desired, I did not withhold from them; I did not keep my heart from any pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, for this was my reward for all my efforts.

    11Yet when I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, behold, everything was meaningless—a chasing after the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

    12So I turned my attention to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. For what can anyone do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.

  • Eccl 1:12-14
    3 verses
    74%

    12I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

    13I set my heart to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a burdensome task God has given to the human race to occupy themselves with!

    14I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun; they are all meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 4:15-16
    2 verses
    74%

    15I saw all the living who walk under the sun following the youth, the second one, who replaces him.

    16There is no end to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 2:19-23
    5 verses
    73%

    19And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will rule over all the fruit of my labor that I have worked for under the sun. This too is meaningless.

    20So I turned my heart to despair over all the hard work with which I had labored under the sun.

    21For there is a person who labors with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, but then must leave everything to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

    22What does a person gain from all their labor and from the striving of their heart under the sun?

    23All their days are full of sorrow, and their work is filled with grief; even at night their mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

  • Eccl 6:1
    73%

    1There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is great upon humanity.

  • Eccl 3:16
    73%

    16And I saw under the sun, in the place of judgment, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well.

  • Job 30:25
    73%

    25Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the needy?

  • Job 35:9
    72%

    9People cry out because of the multitude of oppressions; they plead for help because of the power of the mighty.

  • Eccl 9:1
    71%

    1So I reflected on all this and set my heart to examine it: that the righteous, the wise, and their deeds are in the hand of God. People do not know whether love or hatred awaits them; everything lies before them.

  • Eccl 3:10
    71%

    10I have seen the burden that God has laid on the human race.

  • Eccl 8:14
    71%

    14There is a futility that takes place on the earth: righteous people receive what the wicked deserve, and wicked people receive what the righteous deserve. I said, 'This too is vanity.'

  • Eccl 10:5
    71%

    5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, an error that proceeds from a ruler:

  • Eccl 5:8
    71%

    8The benefit of the land is for everyone; even a king depends on the field being cultivated.

  • Ps 69:20
    71%

    20You know my reproach, my shame, and my disgrace; all my adversaries are before you.

  • Eccl 1:3
    71%

    3What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

  • Eccl 2:17
    70%

    17So I hated life, because the work done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 1:9
    70%

    9What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

  • Eccl 3:22
    70%

    22So I saw that there is nothing better than for a person to rejoice in their work, for that is their lot. Who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

  • Lam 1:16
    70%

    16"Because of these things I weep; my eyes, my eyes flow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are desolate because the enemy has prevailed."

  • Eccl 9:13
    70%

    13I also saw this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    69%

    16When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to observe the work that is done on earth, even though people do not see sleep with their eyes day or night,

    17then I saw all the work of God, that no one can understand the work that is done under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can comprehend it. Even if the wise claim to know, they cannot truly understand it.

  • Eccl 5:13
    69%

    13Or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children, there is nothing left for them to inherit.

  • Eccl 5:16
    69%

    16Throughout his days, he eats in darkness, with great frustration, sickness, and anger.

  • Eccl 7:14
    69%

    14When times are good, be joyful; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

  • Eccl 9:3
    69%

    3This is the distressing thing about everything that happens under the sun: the same fate befalls all. Moreover, the hearts of humans are full of evil, and madness resides in their hearts during their lives; and after that, they join the dead.

  • Eccl 1:17
    69%

    17Then I set my heart to understand wisdom, as well as madness and folly, but I learned that this too is a chasing after the wind.

  • Lam 1:21
    69%

    21People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. Bring the day you have announced, so they may become like me.

  • Isa 22:4
    69%

    4Therefore I said, 'Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly. Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of my people.'

  • Job 3:18
    69%

    18Together the prisoners are at ease; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

  • Eccl 2:25
    69%

    25For who can eat or who can enjoy life apart from Him?

  • Hab 1:4
    68%

    4Therefore, the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so justice comes out distorted.

  • Eccl 3:12
    68%

    12I know that there is nothing better for people than to rejoice and to do good while they live.

  • Eccl 2:15
    68%

    15Then I said in my heart, 'What happens to the fool will also happen to me. So why have I been so very wise?' And I concluded in my heart, 'This too is meaningless.'