Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is great on men:
There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:
2 [There is many] a man to whom God hath given riches, property, and honor, and nothing is wanting for his soul of all that he longeth for: yet God empowereth him not to eat thereof, but a stranger will consume it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.
3 If a man were to beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years were many, and his soul were not satisfied with what is good, and he have not had even a burial: then do I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.
4 For in vanity it came, and in darkness it departeth, and with darkness will its name be covered.
For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.
5 Moreover it never saw the sun, and knew nothing: this hath more rest than the other.
He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:
6 Yea, though he were to live a thousand years twice told, and had not seen any good— doth not every one go to one place?
Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?
7 All the toil of a man is for his mouth; and yet is his desire never filled.
All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.
8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk [properly] before the living?
What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?
9 Better is what one seeth with the eyes than the wandering of the desire. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.
10 That which hath been is already called by its name, and it is known that he is a man: and he is not able to contend with him that is mightier than he.
He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.
11 For there are many things that increase vanity: what advantage [cometh thence] for man?
There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, the number of the days of his vain life, that he should spend them as a shadow? for who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?
