Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:
I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.
2 a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but a foreigner eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
God gives wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.
3 If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:
A man could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.
4 for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.
5 Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this man.
6 Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, do not all go to one place?
Even if this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Everyone works so they can live, but they're never satisfied.
8 For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.
10 Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.
Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.
11 For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?
12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?
