Ecclesiastes 4:5

The fool folds his hands and does no work, ¹  so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh. ² 

The fool folds his hands and ruins himself.

The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

Foolish people refuse to work and almost starve.

The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide.

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

Fools fold their hands and consume their own flesh.

The fool folds his hands And consumes his own flesh.

The fool folds his hands and does no work, ¹  so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh. ² 

¹ tn Heb “the fool folds his hands.” The Hebrew idiom means that he does not work (e.g., Prov 6:10; 24:33). In the translation the words “and does no work” (which do not appear in the Hebrew text) have been supplied following the idiom to clarify what is meant.

² tn Heb “and eats his own flesh.” Most English versions render the idiom literally: “and eats/consumes his flesh” (KJV, AS, NASB, NAB, RSV, NRSV, NJPS). However, a few versions attempt to explain the idiom: “and lets life go to ruin” (Moffatt), “and wastes away” (NEB), “and ruins himself” (NIV).