Ecclesiastes 6

1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:

1There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:

1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;

2a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

2A 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.

2A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.

3If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

3If 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.

3If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.

4for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;

4For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.

4In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered.

5moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:

5He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:

5Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.

6yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place?

6Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?

6And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?

7All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

7All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.

7All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food.

8For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?

8What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?

8What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?

9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

9Better 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.

9What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

10Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.

10He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is a man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.

10That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.

11Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

11There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.

11There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?

12For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

12(not in this translation)

12Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?