Ecclesiastes 6

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

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men:

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.

one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and 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 a sore evil.

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 [sons], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say 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 it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;

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

moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.

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?

Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he 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 man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

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 hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

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

Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

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.

That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.

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

For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged?

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?

For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?