NIPTO, Day 268

This is going to be a legit NIPTO post. Just so you know. More about my life tomorrow. It's late, my sinuses hurt, and I want to sleep. (And the words that I'm typing look like they're popping. Weird. But I guess I just watched this video, so it kind of makes sense. But not really. Bear with me tonight!)

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12
¹ Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:
   I saw the tears of the oppressed—
   and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
   and they have no comforter. ² And I declared that the dead,
   who had already died,
are happier than the living,
   who are still alive. ³ But better than both
   is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
   that is done under the sun.


This person looked out and saw the tears of the oppressed. He saw that they didn't have anyone to comfort them. All of the power was on the opressors side. They didn't have a comforter. 
He then made the statement that people who are dead, who have already died (that... uh... makes sense? Yeah. Yeah, it does.),  are happier than the people who are living and still alive.
But better than both of them is the person who hasn't been born. Who hasn't been exposed to the evil that exists in our world. 



 ⁴ And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
 ⁵ Fools fold their hands
   and ruin themselves. ⁶ Better one handful with tranquility
   than two handfuls with toil
   and chasing after the wind.


The author saw that all toil and achievement come from one person's envy of another person. That is definitely  meaningless. Something that's motivated by envy  can't turn out well! 
Foolish people fold their hands, do nothing, and ruin themselves. But it's better to have one handful of tranquility than to have two handfuls of toil and wind chasing. Tranquility seems... tranquil. Nice. Calm. Tranquil.  



 ⁷ Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
 ⁸ There was a man all alone;
   he had neither son nor 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!


The author saw something else that was meaningless. Shoocker! There was someone who was by themselves. He didn't have a son or a brother. He worked endlessly, but he wasn't content with what he had. He asked himself who he was working for and why he was taking enjoyment away from himself. That, friends, is meaningless. Working endlessly with no one to motivate you. God should be our ultimate motivator. Can I get an amen?



 ⁹ Two are better than one,
   because they have a good return for their labor: ¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
   one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
   and has no one to help them up.


Ahhh... the classic "wedding passage." So... wedding-y. Haha. 
Two people are better than one person. Working together with another person gets more done. Usually. If one person falls down, there's another person to pick them up. But the person who falls and has no one to help them up is pitied. 



¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
   But how can one keep warm alone? ¹² Though one may be overpowered,
   two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.


Two people keep each other warm. One person can't really keep themself warm. 
One person is overpowered, but two people can defend the other.
And a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (aka don't get between me and my sisters ;)




A'ight. Imma head to bed. Spanish tomorrow! yaaaaay. haha
G'night, all!