ECC 4:5 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for Bible-translators and others doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still early looks into the drafted texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) The fool folds his hands together instead of working
⇔ and ends up ruining himself.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Ὁ ἄφρων περιέβαλε τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔφαγε τὰς σάρκας αὐτοῦ.
(Ho afrōn periebale tas ⱪeiras autou, kai efage tas sarkas autou.)

ULT The fool is folding his hands
⇔ and is eating his flesh.

UST It is just like people say:
⇔ Rather than work hard, foolish people merely relax
⇔ with their unproductive hands folded on their laps, ready to eat their meal.
⇔ Yet, as they do so, they unwittingly ruin themselves,
⇔ as if they were feasting on their own bodies!

BSB The fool folds his hands
⇔ and consumes his own flesh.

MSB (Same as BSB above)

OEB No OEB ECC book available

WEBBE The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The fool folds his hands and does no work,
⇔ so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh.

LSV The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:

FBV Fools fold their arms and do nothing—so in the end they're all used up.

T4T ⇔ Foolish people refuse to work;
⇔ they sit idly, with their hands folded, and do not work.
⇔ So they ruin themselves.

LEB • The fool refuses to work with his hands,
• so he has nothing to eat except his own skin ![fn]

4:4 Literally “The fool folds his hands and eats his flesh”

BBE The foolish man, folding his hands, takes the flesh of his body for food.

Moff He is a fool who folds his hands and lets life go to ruin.

JPS The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

ASV The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

DRA The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh, saying:

YLT The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:

Drby The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

RV The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
(The fool foldeth/folds his hands together, and eateth/eats his own flesh.)

SLT The foolish one folded his hands together, and ate his flesh.

Wbstr The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

KJB-1769 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
(The fool foldeth/folds his hands together, and eateth/eats his own flesh.)

KJB-1611 The foole foldeth his hands together, and eateth his owne flesh.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps The foole foldeth his handes together, and eateth vp his owne fleshe.
(The fool foldeth/folds his hands together, and eateth/eats up his own flesh.)

Gnva The foole foldeth his hands, and eateth vp his owne flesh.
(The fool foldeth/folds his hands, and eateth/eats up his own flesh.)

Cvdl The foole foldeth his handes together, & eateth vp his owne flesh.
(The fool foldeth/folds his hands together, and eateth/eats up his own flesh.)

Wycl A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
(A fool foldeth/folds together his hands, and eateth/eats his flesh,)

Luth Denn ein Narr schlägt die Finger ineinander und frißt sein Fleisch.
(Because a fool(n) beats(v) the finger into_each_other and eats be flesh.)

ClVg Stultus complicat manus suas, et comedit carnes suas, dicens:
(Stupid_(person) complicates hands their_own, and he_ate meats their_own, saying:)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-proverbs

הַ⁠כְּסִיל֙ חֹבֵ֣ק אֶת יָדָ֔י⁠ו וְ⁠אֹכֵ֖ל אֶת בְּשָׂרֽ⁠וֹ

the,fool folds DOM hands_of,his and,[he_is]_eating DOM flesh_of,his_own

Solomon uses a proverb in order to illustrate the self-destructive nature of laziness. Translate this proverb in a way that will be recognized as a proverb and be meaningful in your language and culture. Alternate translation: [The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

חֹבֵ֣ק אֶת יָדָ֔י⁠ו

folds DOM hands_of,his

Solomon is using is folding his hands as a common expression of the culture to mean “is being lazy” or “is refusing to work.” If this phrase does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [is being lazy]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠אֹכֵ֖ל אֶת בְּשָׂרֽ⁠וֹ

and,[he_is]_eating DOM flesh_of,his_own

Solomon is speaking as if the fool’s laziness were causing him to consume his own flesh. He means that the fool’s idleness destroys himself. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and is destroying himself]

Parallel ECC 4:5