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 great on 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.
[There is many] a man to whom God hath given riches, property, and honor, and nothing is wanting for his soul of all that he longeth for: yet God empowereth him not to eat thereof, but a stranger will consume 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 were to beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years were many, and his soul were not satisfied with what is good, and he have not had even a burial: then do 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 in vanity it came, and in darkness it departeth, and with darkness will its name be covered.
5 even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
Moreover it never saw the sun, and knew nothing: this hath more rest 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 were to live a thousand years twice told, and had not seen any good— doth not every one go to one place?
7 All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!
All the toil of a man is for his mouth; and yet is his desire never 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 hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk [properly] 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 what one seeth with the eyes than the wandering of the desire. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
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 hath been is already called by its name, and it is known that he is a man: and he is not able to 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 advantage [cometh thence] for man?
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 this life, the number of the days of his vain life, that he should spend them as a shadow? for who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
