Ecclesiastes 6
1 I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.
Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:
2 God gives wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.
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 A man could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.
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 The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.
For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
5 He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this man.
even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
6 Even if this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?
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 Everyone works so they can live, but they're never satisfied.
All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!
8 So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?
For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as to walk before the living?
9 Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.
Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
10 Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.
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 For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?
Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
12 Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?
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?
