Ecclesiastes 6
1 Also another yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne; and certis it is oft vsid anentis men.
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant with man:
2 A man is, to whom God yaf richessis, and catel, and onour; and no thing failith to his soule of alle thingis which he desirith; and God yyueth not power to hym, that he ete therof, but a straunge man shal deuoure it. This is vanyte, and a greet wretchidnesse.
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.
3 If a man gendrith an hundrid fre sones, and lyueth many yeris, and hath many daies of age, and his soule vsith not the goodis of his catel, and wantith biriyng; Y pronounce of this man, that a deed borun child is betere than he.
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.
4 For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.
For he came in vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered in darkness.
5 He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is [no more rest] to this one than another.
6 also thouy he lyueth twei thousynde yeeris, and vsith not goodis; whether alle thingis hasten not to o place?
Though he has lived to the return of a thousand years, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one place?
7 Al the trauel of a man is in his mouth, but the soule of hym schal not be fillid with goodis.
All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied.
8 What hath a wijs man more than a fool? and what hath a pore man, no but that he go thidur, where is lijf?
For [what] advantage has the wise man over the fool, since [even] the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life?
9 It is betere to se that, that thou coueitist, than to desire that, that thou knowist not; but also this is vanyte, and presumpcioun of spirit.
The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.
10 The name of hym that schal come, is clepid now, and it is knowun, that he is a man, and he mai not stryue in doom ayens a strongere than hym silf.
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.
11 Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.
For there are many things which increase vanity.
12 What nede is it to a man to seke grettere thingis than hym silf; sithen he knowith not, what schal bifalle to hym in his lijf, in the noumbre of daies of his pilgrimage, and in the tyme that passith as schadowe? ether who may schewe to hym, what thing vndur sunne schal come aftir hym?
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?
