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] great on man:
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 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.
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 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.”
4 For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goes, and in darkness his name is covered,
5 even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
even the sun he has not seen nor known, more rest has this than that.
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?
And though he had lived one thousand years twice over, yet he has not seen good; does not everyone go to the same 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 soul 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 [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knows 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 going of the soul. This [is] also vanity and distress of 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.
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.
11 Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
For there are many things multiplying vanity; What advantage [is] to 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 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?
