Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavy on men.
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is great on men:
2 God might give riches, wealth, and honor to a man so that he lacks nothing that he desires for himself, but then God gives him no ability to enjoy it. Instead, someone else uses his things. This is vapor, an evil affliction.
[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 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but if his heart is not satisfied with good and he is not buried, then I say that a baby that is born dead is better off than he is.
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 Even such a baby is born in futility and passes away in darkness, and its name remains hidden.
For in vanity it came, and in darkness it departeth, and with darkness will its name be covered.
5 Although this child does not see the sun or know anything, it has rest even though that man did not.
Moreover it never saw the sun, and knew nothing: this hath more rest than the other.
6 Even if a man should live for two thousand years but does not learn to enjoy good things, he goes to the same place as everyone else.
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 a man's work is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.
All the toil of a man is for his mouth; and yet is his desire never filled.
8 Indeed, what advantage has the wise person over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have even if he knows how to act in front of other people?
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk [properly] before the living?
9 It is better to be satisfied with what the eyes see than to desire what a wandering appetite craves, which is also vapor and an attempt to shepherd the 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 Whatever has existed has already been given its name, and what mankind is like has already been known. So it has become useless to dispute with the one who is the mighty judge of all.
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 The more words that are spoken, the more futility increases, so what advantage is that to a man?
For there are many things that increase vanity: what advantage [cometh thence] for man?
12 For who knows what is good for man in his life during his futile, numbered days through which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come under the sun after he passes?
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?
