Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:
Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:
2 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.
A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul—of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, —this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.
3 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;
Though a man should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth!
4 for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;
For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
5 moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath gratification rather than the other;
even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
6 yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and enjoy no good; do not all go to one place?
Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, —is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!
8 For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or the poor man that hath understanding, in walking before the living?
For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as to walk before the living?
9 Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire; this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
10 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.
Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is—Son of Earth, —he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.
11 Seeing there are many words that increase vanity, what is man the better?
Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
12 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?
For who knoweth what is good for a man throughout his life, for the number of the days of his life of vanity, seeing he will make them, like a shadow, —for who can tell a man, what shall be after him, under the sun?
