Ecclesiastes 4 - NCB & NLT

Then I came to realize that all toil and skill in work… Ecclesiastes 4:4

Then I came to realize that all toil and skill in work derive from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chase after the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:4	Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. work neighbor desires
Two are better than one: they earn a far greater reward for their toil. Ecclesiastes 4:9	Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. friendship relationships work

And if one should fall, his companion will help him up. How pathetic is the man who is alone and falls and has no one to assist him to his feet. Ecclesiastes 4:10	If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. relationships friendship neighbor
And where a single man can be overcome, two together will be able to resist. A cord with three strands is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12	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. relationships friendship strength