Ecclesiastes 6
1 Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:
2 A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul—of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, —this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.
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 does not give him power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
3 Though a man should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth!
If a man begets a hundred sons, 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 an untimely birth is better than he.
4 For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
For it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and the name of it is covered with darkness.
5 even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it, this one has rest rather than the other.
6 Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, —is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?
Yea, though he lives a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoys no good, do not all go to one place?
7 All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as to walk before the living?
For what advantage has the wise man more than the fool? What has the poor man, who knows how to walk before the living?
9 Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
10 Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is—Son of Earth, —he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.
Whatever has been, the name of it was given long ago, and it is know what man is. Neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.
11 Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
Since there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
12 For who knoweth what is good for a man throughout his life, for the number of the days of his life of vanity, seeing he will make them, like a shadow, —for who can tell a man, what shall be after him, under the sun?
For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
