Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;
Also another yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne; and certis it is oft vsid anentis men.
2 A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.
A man is, to whom God yaf richessis, and catel, and onour; and no thing failith to his soule of alle thingis which he desirith; and God yyueth not power to hym, that he ete therof, but a straunge man shal deuoure it. This is vanyte, and a greet wretchidnesse.
3 If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.
If a man gendrith an hundrid fre sones, and lyueth many yeris, and hath many daies of age, and his soule vsith not the goodis of his catel, and wantith biriyng; Y pronounce of this man, that a deed borun child is betere than he.
4 In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered.
For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.
5 Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
6 And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?
also thouy he lyueth twei thousynde yeeris, and vsith not goodis; whether alle thingis hasten not to o place?
7 All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food.
Al the trauel of a man is in his mouth, but the soule of hym schal not be fillid with goodis.
8 What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?
What hath a wijs man more than a fool? and what hath a pore man, no but that he go thidur, where is lijf?
9 What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
It is betere to se that, that thou coueitist, than to desire that, that thou knowist not; but also this is vanyte, and presumpcioun of spirit.
10 That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.
The name of hym that schal come, is clepid now, and it is knowun, that he is a man, and he mai not stryue in doom ayens a strongere than hym silf.
11 There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?
Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.
12 Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?
What nede is it to a man to seke grettere thingis than hym silf; sithen he knowith not, what schal bifalle to hym in his lijf, in the noumbre of daies of his pilgrimage, and in the tyme that passith as schadowe? ether who may schewe to hym, what thing vndur sunne schal come aftir hym?
