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 which I have seen under the sun, and it is great on 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.
[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 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 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 For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.
For in vanity it came, and in darkness it departeth, and with darkness will its name be covered.
5 He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
Moreover it never saw the sun, and knew nothing: this hath more rest 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 were to live a thousand years twice told, and had not seen any good— doth not every one 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 toil of a man is for his mouth; and yet is his desire never 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 hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk [properly] 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 what one seeth with the eyes than the wandering of the desire. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
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 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 Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.
For there are many things that increase vanity: what advantage [cometh thence] for man?
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 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?
