Ecclesiastes 6

1 Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:

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

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 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 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 vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:

For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name 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 hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath 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 live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen 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 labour 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 hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth 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 seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the 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.

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 Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?

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

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 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?