Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an euill, which I sawe vnder the sunne, and it is much among men:
There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and, indeed, it is frequent among men.
2 A man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth: but God giueth him not power to eate thereof, but a strange man shall eate it vp: this is vanitie, and this is an euill sicknesse.
It is a man to whom God has given wealth, and resources, and honor; and out of all that he desires, nothing is lacking to his life; yet God does not grant him the ability to consume these things, but instead a man who is a stranger will devour them. This is emptiness and a great misfortune.
3 If a man beget an hundreth children and liue many yeeres, and the dayes of his yeeres be multiplied, and his soule be not satisfied with good things, and he be not buried, I say that an vntimely fruite is better then he.
If a man were to produce one hundred children, and to live for many years, and to attain to an age of many days, and if his soul were to make no use of the goods of his resources, and if he were lacking even a burial: concerning such a man, I declare that a miscarried child is better than he.
4 For he commeth into vanitie and goeth into darkenesse: and his name shall be couered with darkenesse.
For he arrives without a purpose and he continues on into darkness, and his name shall be wiped away, into oblivion.
5 Also he hath not seene ye sunne, nor knowen it: therefore this hath more rest then the other.
He has not seen the sun, nor recognized the difference between good and evil.
6 And if he had liued a thousand yeeres twise tolde, and had seene no good, shall not all goe to one place?
Even if he were to live for two thousand years, and yet not thoroughly enjoy what is good, does not each one hurry on to the same place?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth: yet the soule is not filled.
Every labor of man is for his mouth, but his soul will not be filled.
8 For what hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?
What do the wise have which is more than the foolish? And what does the pauper have, except to continue on to that place, where there is life?
9 The sight of ye eye is better then to walke in ye lustes: this also is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
It is better to see what you desire, than to desire what you cannot know. But this, too, is emptiness and a presumption of spirit.
10 What is that that hath bene? the name thereof is nowe named: and it is knowen that it is man: and he cannot striue with him that is stronger then he.
Whoever shall be in the future, his name has already been called. And it is known that he is a man and that he is not able to contend in judgment against one who is stronger than himself.
11 Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?
There are many words, and many of these, in disputes, hold much emptiness.
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in the life and in the nomber of the dayes of the life of his vanitie, seeing he maketh them as a shadowe? For who can shewe vnto man what shall be after him vnder the sunne?
Why is it necessary for a man to seek things that are greater than himself, when he does not know what is advantageous for himself in his life, during the number of the days of his sojourn, and while time passes by like a shadow? Or who will be able to tell him what will be in the future after him under the sun?
