6:1 I have seen an evil under the sun and it prevails among men-- |
6:2 a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This seems vain and a severe affliction. |
6:3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many he may have, but his soul takes no satisfaction with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he, |
6:4 for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name will go into obscurity. |
6:5 "It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it fares better off than he. |
6:6 "Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things-- do not all go to one place?" |
6:7 All a man's labor he does for his mouth and yet he does not satisfy his appetite . |
6:8 For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? |
6:9 What the eyes see proves better than what the soul desires This too seems futile and a striving after wind. |
6:10 Whatever exists has already received a name, and we knows what man does; for he cannot dispute with him who has more strength than he has. |
6:11 For many words increase futility. What advantage do they have to a man? |
6:12 For who knows what seems good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will take place after him under the sun? |