Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:

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

2 A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.

a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, so that 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 it is an evil disease.

3 If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.

If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul have not enough of good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he;

4 For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.

for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;

5 He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:

moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath gratification rather than the other;

6 Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?

yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and enjoy no good; do not all go to one place?

7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.

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

8 What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?

For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or the poor man that hath understanding, in walking before the living?

9 Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.

Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire; this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

10 He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.

Whatsoever cometh into being, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is foreknown what man is; neither can he contend with Him that is mightier than he.

11 There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.

Seeing there are many words that increase vanity, what is man the better?

12 What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?

For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, 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?