The Village Church in Greenwich Village

The True Meaning of Friendship

Given on August 31, 2008

Given By

Rev. Chris Hildebrand

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 he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

⁴ And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

⁵ The fool folds his hands

and ruins himself.

⁶ Better one handful with tranquillity

than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

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!

⁹ Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work:

¹⁰ If one falls down,

his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

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.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.