Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is great on men:

2 one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil.

[There is many] a man to whom God hath given riches, property, and honor, and nothing is wanting for his soul of all that he longeth for: yet God empowereth him not to eat thereof, but a stranger will consume it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

3 If a man beget a hundred [sons], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he.

If a man were to beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years were many, and his soul were not satisfied with what is good, and he have not had even a burial: then do I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

4 For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;

For in vanity it came, and in darkness it departeth, and with darkness will its name be covered.

5 moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.

Moreover it never saw the sun, and knew nothing: this hath more rest than the other.

6 Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

Yea, though he were to live a thousand years twice told, and had not seen any good— doth not every one go to one place?

7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

All the toil of a man is for his mouth; and yet is his desire never filled.

8 For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk [properly] before the living?

9 Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Better is what one seeth with the eyes than the wandering of the desire. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.

10 That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.

That which hath been is already called by its name, and it is known that he is a man: and he is not able to contend with him that is mightier than he.

11 For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged?

For there are many things that increase vanity: what advantage [cometh thence] for man?

12 For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?

For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, the number of the days of his vain life, that he should spend them as a shadow? for who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?