Ecclesiastes 4:6 — Compare All Translations

English (YLT) 1898 Young's Literal Translation by Robert Young

`Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.`

English ASV

Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.

English Amplified

Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full with painful effort, a vain striving after the wind and a feeding on it.

English Amplified Classic Bible 1987

Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full with painful effort, a vain striving after the wind and a feeding on it.

English Berean Standard Bible (BSB) 2025

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.

English CSB 2017 - Christian Standard Bible

Better one handful with rest than two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind.

English Darby 1890 : Public Domain

Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

English EASY 2024

It is good to have only a little food and be happy. It is better than too much hard work that gives you a lot of food. That is as useless as somebody who tries to catch the wind.

English ERV 2006 - Only For Website

Maybe that is true. But I say it is better to be satisfied with the few things you have than to always be struggling to get more.

Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

English GNT (Good News Translation)

Maybe so, but it is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.

English God's Word - GW 1995

One handful of peace and quiet is better than two handfuls of hard work and of trying to catch the wind.

English HCSB 2004 - Copyrighted Only For Website

Better one handful with rest, than two handfuls with effort and pursuit of the wind.

English KJV 1611

Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

English LSB

One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

English MEV 2014 (Modern English Version)

Better is a full hand of quietness than handfuls of toil and a chasing after wind.

English NASB (New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995)

One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

English NASU 1989 - New American Standard Update - Only for Website

Better is one handful with tranquility than two with toil and a chase after wind!

English NET Bible - 2005 (New English Translation)

Better is one handful with some rest than two hands full of toil and chasing the wind.

English NIRV 1996 - Copyrighted only for Website

One handful with peace and quiet is better than two handfuls with hard work. Working too hard is like chasing the wind.

English NIV

Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

English NKJ 1982

Better a handful with quietness Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.

English NLT

They feel it is better to be lazy and barely survive than to work hard, especially when in the long run everything is so futile.

English NRSV 1989 - Only for website

Better is a handful with quiet than two handfuls with toil, and a chasing after wind.

English RSV (Revised Standard Version)

Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

English TL (The Living Bible) (1971)

barely get by, than to work hard, when in the long run it is all so futile.

English Tyndale 1537

One handful (sayeth he) is better with rest, than both the hands full with labor and travail.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 — Compare Translations