Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is another evil I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon mankind:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant with man:
2 God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction.
a man to whom God shall give wealth, and substance, and honour, and he wants nothing for his soul of all things that he shall desire, yet God shall not give him power to eat of it, for a stranger shall devour it: this is vanity, and an evil infirmity.
3 A man may father a hundred children and live for many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he is unsatisfied with his prosperity and does not even receive a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.
If a man beget a hundred [children], and live many years, yea, however abundant the days of his years shall be, yet [if] his soul shall not be satisfied with good, and also he have no burial; I said, An untimely birth is better than he.
4 For a stillborn child enters in futility and departs in darkness, and his name is shrouded in obscurity.
For he came in vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered in darkness.
5 The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man,
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is [no more rest] to this one than another.
6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?
Though he has lived to the return of a thousand years, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one place?
7 All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.
All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied.
8 What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?
For [what] advantage has the wise man over the fool, since [even] the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life?
9 Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.
10 Whatever exists was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.
If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is stronger than he.
11 For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?
For there are many things which increase vanity.
12 For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?
What advantage has a man? for who knows [what is] good for a man in his life, [during] the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
