Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant with man:

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:

2 a man to whom God shall give wealth, and substance, and honour, and he wants nothing for his soul of all things that he shall desire, yet God shall not give him power to eat of it, for a stranger shall devour it: this is vanity, and an evil infirmity.

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 beget a hundred [children], and live many years, yea, however abundant the days of his years shall be, yet [if] his soul shall not be satisfied with good, and also he have no burial; I said, An untimely birth is better 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 came in vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered in darkness.

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

5 Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is [no more rest] to this one than another.

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

6 Though he has lived to the return of a thousand years, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one 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 All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied.

All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.

8 For [what] advantage has the wise man over the fool, since [even] the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life?

For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

9 The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.

Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

10 If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is stronger than he.

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 For there are many things which increase vanity.

For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to man?

12 What advantage has a man? for who knows [what is] good for a man in his life, [during] the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

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?