Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:
Also another yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne; and certis it is oft vsid anentis men.
2 a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
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.
3 If a man beget an hundred children and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
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.
4 for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;
For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.
5 moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
6 yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good: do not all go to one place?
also thouy he lyueth twei thousynde yeeris, and vsith not goodis; whether alle thingis hasten not to o place?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Al the trauel of a man is in his mouth, but the soule of hym schal not be fillid with goodis.
8 For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth to walk before the living?
What hath a wijs man more than a fool? and what hath a pore man, no but that he go thidur, where is lijf?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
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.
10 Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is known that it is man: neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.
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.
11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in [his] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
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?
