Ecclesiastes 4:1

ACV

Ecclesiastes 4:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

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.

I returned

Job 6:29

Malachi 3:18

And considered

The tears

James 5:4

They had

2 Timothy 4:16

General references

Ecclesiastes 3:16

Ecclesiastes 6:11

Habakkuk 1:3

Bible References

I returned

Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice. Yea, return again, my cause is righteous.

Then ye shall return and discern between the righteous man and the wicked man, between him who serves God and him who does not serve him.

And considered

And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

If thou see the oppression of a poor man, and the violent wresting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter. For [a man] higher than the high is observing, and there are higher [men] than they.

Surely oppression makes the wise man foolish, and a bribe destroys the understanding.

And the Egyptians made the sons of Israel to serve with rigor.

And it came to pass in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.

There is no straw given to thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick. And, behold, thy servants are beaten, but the fault it in thine own people.

The fruit of thy ground, and all thy labors, shall a nation eat up which thou know not. And thou shall only be oppressed and crushed always,

And the sons of Israel cried to LORD, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he mightily oppressed the sons of Israel twenty years.

And the anger of LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the sons of Ammon.

Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

He lurks in secret as a lion in his covert. He lays in wait to catch the poor man. He catches the poor man when he draws him in his net.

A needy man who oppresses the poor is a sweeping rain which leaves no food.

For the vineyard of LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant. And he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression, for righteousness, but, behold, a cry.

And I will put it into the hand of those who afflict thee, who have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over, and thou have laid thy back as the ground, and as the street, to those who go over.

Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Desolation and destruction are in their paths.

And I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the FALSE swearers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the f

The tears

My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, Where is thy God?

Thou have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure.

My enemies reproach me all the day. Those who are mad against me do curse by me.

And this again ye do: Ye cover the altar of LORD with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he does not regard the offering any more, nor receives it with good will at your hand.

Behold the wage of the workmen who reaped your fields. The man who was defrauded by you cries out. And the outcries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of Lord of hosts.

They had

I also could speak as ye do, if your soul were in my soul's stead. I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you.

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.

Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. And I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

Look on [my] right hand, and see, for there is no man who knows me. Refuge has failed me. No man cares for my soul.

All the brothers of a poor man hate him, how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues [with] words, [but] they are gone.

But all this has come to pass, so that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples fled, having forsook him.

At my first defense no man came with me, but all forsook me. May it not be reckoned to them.

General references

And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

Since there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

Why do thou show me iniquity, and look upon perverseness? For destruction and violence are before me, and there is strife, and contention rises up.