Ecclesiastes 6
1 Also another yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne; and certis it is oft vsid anentis men.
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men:
2 A man is, to whom God yaf richessis, and catel, and onour; and no thing failith to his soule of alle thingis which he desirith; and God yyueth not power to hym, that he ete therof, but a straunge man shal deuoure it. This is vanyte, and a greet wretchidnesse.
one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil.
3 If a man gendrith an hundrid fre sones, and lyueth many yeris, and hath many daies of age, and his soule vsith not the goodis of his catel, and wantith biriyng; Y pronounce of this man, that a deed borun child is betere than he.
If a man beget a hundred [sons], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he.
4 For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.
For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;
5 He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.
6 also thouy he lyueth twei thousynde yeeris, and vsith not goodis; whether alle thingis hasten not to o place?
Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
7 Al the trauel of a man is in his mouth, but the soule of hym schal not be fillid with goodis.
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 What hath a wijs man more than a fool? and what hath a pore man, no but that he go thidur, where is lijf?
For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
9 It is betere to se that, that thou coueitist, than to desire that, that thou knowist not; but also this is vanyte, and presumpcioun of spirit.
Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
10 The name of hym that schal come, is clepid now, and it is knowun, that he is a man, and he mai not stryue in doom ayens a strongere than hym silf.
That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.
11 Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.
For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged?
12 What nede is it to a man to seke grettere thingis than hym silf; sithen he knowith not, what schal bifalle to hym in his lijf, in the noumbre of daies of his pilgrimage, and in the tyme that passith as schadowe? ether who may schewe to hym, what thing vndur sunne schal come aftir hym?
For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?
