Parallel Verses
Youngs Literal Translation
The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
New American Standard Bible
The fool
King James Version
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Holman Bible
and consumes his own flesh.
International Standard Version
The fool crosses his arms and starves himself.
American Standard Version
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Amplified
The fool folds his hands [together] and consumes his own flesh [destroying himself by idleness and apathy].
Bible in Basic English
The foolish man, folding his hands, takes the flesh of his body for food.
Darby Translation
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Julia Smith Translation
The foolish one folded his hands together, and ate his flesh.
King James 2000
The fool folds his hands together, and eats his own flesh.
Lexham Expanded Bible
{The fool refuses to work with his hands, so he has nothing to eat except his own skin}!
Modern King James verseion
The fool folds his hands together, and eats his own flesh.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth up his own flesh.
NET Bible
The fool folds his hands and does no work, so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh.
New Heart English Bible
The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.
The Emphasized Bible
The dullard, claspeth his hands, and consumeth his own flesh.
Webster
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
World English Bible
The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.
Themes
Interlinear
Yad
References
Hastings
Word Count of 19 Translations in Ecclesiastes 4:5
Verse Info
Context Readings
People Need Balance In Their Approach To Labor
4 And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this is vanity and vexation of spirit. 5 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh: 6 Better is a handful with quietness, than two handfuls with labour and vexation of spirit.'
Phrases
Names
Cross References
Isaiah 9:20
And cutteth down on the right, and hath been hungry, And he devoureth on the left, And they have not been satisfied, Each the flesh of his own arm they devour.
Job 13:14
Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
Proverbs 6:10-11
A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,
Proverbs 11:17
A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.
Proverbs 12:27
The slothful roasteth not his hunting, And the wealth of a diligent man is precious.
Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the slothful is desiring, and hath not. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.
Proverbs 20:4
Because of winter the slothful plougheth not, He asketh in harvest, and there is nothing.
Proverbs 24:33-34
A little sleep -- a little slumber -- A little folding of the hands to lie down.