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 lieth 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 hath given riches, wealth, and honor, and nothing is wanting to him of all which he desireth, yet God giveth him not to taste thereof; but a stranger enjoyeth it. This is vanity, yea, a grievous 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!
Though a man have a hundred children, and live many years, and though the days of his years be many, if his soul be not satisfied with good, and he have 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:
This, indeed, cometh in nothingness, and goeth down into 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.
it hath not seen the sun, nor known it; yet hath it 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 a thousand years twice told, and see 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 his desires are not satisfied.
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 man over the fool? What advantage hath the poor, who knoweth 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 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.
That which is was long ago called by name; and it was known that he is a man, and that he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
11 Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
Seeing there are many things which increase vanity, what advantage hath man [[from them]]?
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, in all the days of his vain life, which he spendeth as a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
