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

biblegateway Ecc 4:5

The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

The fool folds his arms and consumes his own flesh.

A fool folds his hands and wastes away.

biblegateway Ecc 4:5

The fool folds his hands and ruins himself.

The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.

bibleoremus Ecc 4:5

Fools fold their hands and consume their own flesh.

The fool folds his arms and wastes away.

biblegateway Ecc 4:5

The fool folds his hands And consumes his own flesh.

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

biblegateway Ecc 4:5

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).