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 lieth heavy upon men;
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 hath given riches, wealth, and honor, and nothing is wanting to him of all which he desireth, yet God giveth him not to taste thereof; but a stranger enjoyeth it. This is vanity, yea, a grievous evil.
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.
Though a man have a hundred children, and live many years, and though the days of his years be many, if his soul be not satisfied with good, and he have no burial, I say that 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.
This, indeed, cometh in nothingness, and goeth down into darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;
5 The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man,
it hath not seen the sun, nor known it; yet hath it rest rather than the other.
6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?
Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and see 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 labor of man is for his mouth, and yet his desires are not 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 hath the wise man over the fool? What advantage hath the poor, who knoweth how to walk before the living?
9 Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity, and striving after wind.
10 Whatever exists was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.
That which is was long ago called by name; and it was known that he is a man, and that he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
11 For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?
Seeing there are many things which increase vanity, what advantage hath man [[from them]]?
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?
For who knoweth what is good for man in life, in all the days of his vain life, which he spendeth as a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
