Ecclesiastes 6

1There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it <FI>is<Fi> great on man:

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

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

2A 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 <FI>is<Fi> vanity, and it <FI>is<Fi> an evil disease.

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.

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.

3If 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 <FI>is<Fi> the untimely birth.'

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.

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.

4For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,

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

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

5Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.

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

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

6And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

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?

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

7All the labour of man <FI>is<Fi> for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.

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

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

8For what advantage <FI>is<Fi> to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

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

9Better <FI>is<Fi> the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit.

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

10What <FI>is<Fi> that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it <FI>is<Fi> man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

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

11For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage <FI>is<Fi> to man?

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

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

12For who knoweth what <FI>is<Fi> 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?

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?

12(not in this translation)