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 lieth 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 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 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.
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 he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.
This, indeed, cometh in nothingness, and goeth down into darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;
5 He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:
it hath not seen the sun, nor known it; yet hath it rest 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 see 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 labor of man is for his mouth, and yet his desires are not satisfied.
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 man over the fool? What advantage hath the poor, who knoweth how to walk 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 sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity, and 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.
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 There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.
Seeing there are many things which increase vanity, what advantage hath man [[from them]]?
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 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?
