Ecclesiastes 6
1 I have seen something [else here] on this earth that troubles people.
There is an euill, which I sawe vnder the sunne, and it is much among men:
2 God enables some people to get a lot of money and possessions and to be honored; they have everything [LIT] that they want. But God [sometimes] does not allow them to continue to enjoy those things. Someone else gets them and enjoys them. That seems senseless and unfair.
A man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth: but God giueth him not power to eate thereof, but a strange man shall eate it vp: this is vanitie, and this is an euill sicknesse.
3 Someone might have 100 children and live for many years. But if he is not able to enjoy the things that he has acquired, and if he is not buried [properly after he dies], [I say that] a child that is dead when it is born is more fortunate.
If a man beget an hundreth children and liue many yeeres, and the dayes of his yeeres be multiplied, and his soule be not satisfied with good things, and he be not buried, I say that an vntimely fruite is better then he.
4 That dead baby’s birth is meaningless; it does not even have a name. It goes directly to the place where there is only darkness.
For he commeth into vanitie and goeth into darkenesse: and his name shall be couered with darkenesse.
5 It does not [live to] see the sun or know anything. But it finds more rest than rich people do [who are alive].
Also he hath not seene ye sunne, nor knowen it: therefore this hath more rest then the other.
6 Even if people could live for 2,000 years, if they do not enjoy the things that God gives to them, [it would have been better for them never to have been born]. [All people who live a long time] certainly [RHQ] all go to the same place— [to the grave].
And if he had liued a thousand yeeres twise tolde, and had seene no good, shall not all goe to one place?
7 People work hard to [earn enough money to buy] food to eat [MTY], but [often] they never get enough to eat.
All the labour of man is for his mouth: yet the soule is not filled.
8 So it seems that [RHQ] wise people do not receive more lasting benefits than foolish people do. And it seems that [RHQ] poor people do not benefit from knowing how to conduct their lives.
For what hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?
9 It is better to enjoy the things that we already have [MTY] than to constantly want more things; continually wanting more things is [senseless], [like] the wind.
The sight of ye eye is better then to walke in ye lustes: this also is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
10 All the things that exist [on the earth] have been given names. And everyone knows what people are like, [so] it is useless to argue with someone (OR, with God) who is stronger than we are.
What is that that hath bene? the name thereof is nowe named: and it is knowen that it is man: and he cannot striue with him that is stronger then he.
11 The more [that we] talk, the more [often we say things that are] senseless, so it certainly does not [RHQ] benefit us to talk a lot.
Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?
12 We live for only a short time; we disappear like [SIM] a shadow disappears [in the sunlight]. No one [RHQ] knows what is best for us while we are alive, and no one [RHQ] knows what will happen to us after we die [EUP].
For who knoweth what is good for man in the life and in the nomber of the dayes of the life of his vanitie, seeing he maketh them as a shadowe? For who can shewe vnto man what shall be after him vnder the sunne?
