Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavy on men.

Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:

2 God might give riches, wealth, and honor to a man so that he lacks nothing that he desires for himself, but then God gives him no ability to enjoy it. Instead, someone else uses his things. This is vapor, an evil affliction.

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 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but if his heart is not satisfied with good and he is not buried, then I say that a baby that is born dead is better off than he is.

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 Even such a baby is born in futility and passes away in darkness, and its name remains hidden.

For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:

5 Although this child does not see the sun or know anything, it has rest even though that man did not.

even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.

6 Even if a man should live for two thousand years but does not learn to enjoy good things, he goes to the same place as everyone else.

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 All a man's work is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.

All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!

8 Indeed, what advantage has the wise person over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have even if he knows how to act in front of other people?

For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as to walk before the living?

9 It is better to be satisfied with what the eyes see than to desire what a wandering appetite craves, which is also vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.

Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

10 Whatever has existed has already been given its name, and what mankind is like has already been known. So it has become useless to dispute with the one who is the mighty judge of all.

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 The more words that are spoken, the more futility increases, so what advantage is that to a man?

Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?

12 For who knows what is good for man in his life during his futile, numbered days through which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come under the sun after he passes?

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?