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] great on man:
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.
A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth 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 doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he [is] the untimely birth.'
4 For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.
For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,
5 He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.
6 also thouy he lyueth twei thousynde yeeris, and vsith not goodis; whether alle thingis hasten not to o place?
And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?
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 soul 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 [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who 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 sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of 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.
What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.
11 Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.
For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to 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 a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?
