Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:
There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:
2 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.
A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.
3 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.'
If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.
4 For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,
For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.
5 Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.
He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:
6 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?
Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?
7 All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.
All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.
8 For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?
What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?
9 Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.
10 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.
He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.
11 For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to man?
There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.
12 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?
What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?
