en_tn/ecc/04/05.md

# The fool folds his hands and does not work

To fold the hands is a gesture of laziness and is another way of saying that the person refuses to work. AT: "The fool refuses to work" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# so his food is his own flesh

This speaks of a person destroying himself as if he were eating his own body. AT: "as a result, he causes his own ruin" or "and as a result, he destroys himself" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# a handful

"a small amount"

# two handfuls

"a large amount." It is understood that this refer to profit gained. AT: "two handfuls of profit" or "a large amount of profit" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]])

# that tries to shepherd the wind

The author speaks of everything that people do as being useless as if they were trying to control the wind. See how you translated a similar phrase in [Ecclesiastes 1:14](../01/12.md). AT: "that is as useless as trying to control the wind" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])