Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an euill, which I sawe vnder the sunne, and it is much among men:
I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.
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.
God gives wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.
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.
A man could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.
4 For he commeth into vanitie and goeth into darkenesse: and his name shall be couered with darkenesse.
The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.
5 Also he hath not seene ye sunne, nor knowen it: therefore this hath more rest then the other.
He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this man.
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 this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth: yet the soule is not filled.
Everyone works so they can live, but they're never satisfied.
8 For what hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?
So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?
9 The sight of ye eye is better then to walke in ye lustes: this also is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.
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.
Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.
11 Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?
For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?
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?
Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?
