Ecclesiastes 6
1 est et aliud malum quod vidi sub sole et quidem frequens apud homines
Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:
2 vir cui dedit Deus divitias et substantiam et honorem et nihil deest animae eius ex omnibus quae desiderat nec tribuit ei potestatem Deus ut comedat ex eo sed homo extraneus vorabit illud hoc vanitas et magna miseria est
A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul—of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, —this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.
3 si genuerit quispiam centum et vixerit multos annos et plures dies aetatis habuerit et anima illius non utatur bonis substantiae suae sepulturaque careat de hoc ego pronuntio quod melior illo sit abortivus
Though a man should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth!
4 frustra enim venit et pergit ad tenebras et oblivione delebitur nomen eius
For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
5 non vidit solem neque cognovit distantiam boni et mali
even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
6 etiam si duobus milibus annis vixerit et non fuerit perfruitus bonis nonne ad unum locum properant omnia
Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, —is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?
7 omnis labor hominis in ore eius sed anima illius non impletur
All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!
8 quid habet amplius sapiens ab stulto et quid pauper nisi ut pergat illuc ubi est vita
For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as to walk before the living?
9 melius est videre quod cupias quam desiderare quod nescias sed et hoc vanitas est et praesumptio spiritus
Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
10 qui futurus est iam vocatum est nomen eius et scitur quod homo sit et non possit contra fortiorem se in iudicio contendere
Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is—Son of Earth, —he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.
11 verba sunt plurima multa in disputando habentia vanitatem
Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
12 quid necesse est homini maiora se quaerere cum ignoret quid conducat sibi in vita sua numero dierum peregrinationis suae et tempore quo velut umbra praeterit aut quis ei poterit indicare quid post eum futurum sub sole sit
For who knoweth what is good for a man throughout his life, for the number of the days of his life of vanity, seeing he will make them, like a shadow, —for who can tell a man, what shall be after him, under the sun?
