Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:

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

2 A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.

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.

3 If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he [is] the untimely birth.'

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.

4 For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,

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

5 Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.

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

6 And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

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.

7 All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.

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

8 For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

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?

9 Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

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.

10 What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

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.

11 For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to man?

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

12 For who knoweth what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?

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?