Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is another evil I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon mankind:
Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among 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 giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul—of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, —this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.
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 should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth!
4 For a stillborn child enters in futility and departs in darkness, and his name is shrouded in obscurity.
For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
5 The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man,
even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this 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?
Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, —is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?
7 All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.
All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is 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 profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as 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 what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on 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.
Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is—Son of Earth, —he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.
11 For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?
Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
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 a man throughout his life, for the number of the days of his life of vanity, seeing he will make them, like a shadow, —for who can tell a man, what shall be after him, under the sun?
