Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common 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 given 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.
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 hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than 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 cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
For he arrives without a purpose and he continues on into darkness, and his name shall be wiped away, into oblivion.
5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
He has not seen the sun, nor recognized the difference between good and evil.
6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go 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, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Every labor of man is for his mouth, but his soul will not be filled.
8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
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 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity 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 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than 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 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
There are many words, and many of these, in disputes, hold much emptiness.
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this 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?
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?
