Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:
There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and, indeed, it is frequent among men.
2 a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
It is a man to whom God has given wealth, and resources, and honor; and out of all that he desires, nothing is lacking to his life; yet God does not grant him the ability to consume these things, but instead a man who is a stranger will devour them. This is emptiness and a great misfortune.
3 If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he;
If a man were to produce one hundred children, and to live for many years, and to attain to an age of many days, and if his soul were to make no use of the goods of his resources, and if he were lacking even a burial: concerning such a man, I declare that a miscarried child is better than he.
4 for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
For he arrives without a purpose and he continues on into darkness, and his name shall be wiped away, into oblivion.
5 Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
He has not seen the sun, nor recognized the difference between good and evil.
6 Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?
Even if he were to live for two thousand years, and yet not thoroughly enjoy what is good, does not each one hurry on to the same place?
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Every labor of man is for his mouth, but his soul will not be filled.
8 For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
What do the wise have which is more than the foolish? And what does the pauper have, except to continue on to that place, where there is life?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
It is better to see what you desire, than to desire what you cannot know. But this, too, is emptiness and a presumption of spirit.
10 Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.
Whoever shall be in the future, his name has already been called. And it is known that he is a man and that he is not able to contend in judgment against one who is stronger than himself.
11 For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
There are many words, and many of these, in disputes, hold much emptiness.
12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
Why is it necessary for a man to seek things that are greater than himself, when he does not know what is advantageous for himself in his life, during the number of the days of his sojourn, and while time passes by like a shadow? Or who will be able to tell him what will be in the future after him under the sun?
