Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant with man:

2 A man to whom God gives wealth, and riches, and honor, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desires, and God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it; this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.

a man to whom God shall give wealth, and substance, and honour, and he wants nothing for his soul of all things that he shall desire, yet God shall not give him power to eat of it, for a stranger shall devour it: this is vanity, and an evil infirmity.

3 If a man begets one hundred, and lives 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 has not had a grave, I have said, “Better than he [is] the untimely birth.”

If a man beget a hundred [children], and live many years, yes, however abundant the days of his years shall be, yet [if] his soul shall not be satisfied with good, and also he have no burial; I said, An untimely birth is better than he.

4 For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goes, and in darkness his name is covered,

For he came in vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered in darkness.

5 even the sun he has not seen nor known, more rest has this than that.

Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is [no more rest] to this one than another.

6 And though he had lived one thousand years twice over, yet he has not seen good; does not everyone go to the same place?

Though he has lived to the return of a thousand years, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one place?

7 All the labor of man [is] for his mouth, And yet the soul is not filled.

All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied.

8 For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knows to walk before the living?

For [what] advantage has the wise man over the fool, since [even] the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life?

9 Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This [is] also vanity and distress of spirit.

The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.

10 What [is] that which has 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.

If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is stronger than he.

11 For there are many things multiplying vanity; What advantage [is] to man?

For there are many things which increase vanity.

12 For who knows what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he makes them as a shadow? For who declares to man what is after him under the sun?

What advantage has a man? for who knows [what is] good for a man in his life, [during] the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?