< Ecclesiastes 6 >
1 There is an euill, which I sawe vnder the sunne, and it is much among men:
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:
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.
A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.
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 doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he [is] the untimely birth.'
4 For he commeth into vanitie and goeth into darkenesse: and his name shall be couered with darkenesse.
For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,
5 Also he hath not seene ye sunne, nor knowen it: therefore this hath more rest then the other.
Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.
6 And if he had liued a thousand yeeres twise tolde, and had seene no good, shall not all goe to one place?
And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth: yet the soule is not filled.
All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.
8 For what hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?
For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?
9 The sight of ye eye is better then to walke in ye lustes: this also is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation 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.
What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.
11 Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?
For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to man?
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?
For who knoweth what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?