Ecclesiastes 6

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

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

2 A 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.

A man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wants nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eats it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

3 If 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.

If a man brought forth an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

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

For he comes in with vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

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

Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this has more rest than the other.

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

Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet has he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

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

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

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

For what has the wise more than the fool? what has the poor, that knows to walk before the living?

9 Better 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.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

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

That which has been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

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

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

12 What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?

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