Ecclesiastes 6:9

7 ^aAll the labor of man is for his mouth,
And yet the soul is not satisfied.

8 For what more has the wise man than the fool?
What does the poor man have,
Who knows how to walk before the living?

9 Better is¹ the ^asight of the eyes than the wandering of² desire.
This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

10 Whatever one is, he has been named ^aalready,
For it is known that he is man;
^bAnd he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.

11 Since there are many things that increase vanity,
How is man the better?

12 For who knows what is good for man in life,¹ all the days of his vain life which he passes like ^aa shadow? ^bWho can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

Verse Comparison: Ecclesiastes 6:9

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American Standard Version
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Amplified® Bible
Better is the sight of the eyes [the enjoyment of what is available to one] than the cravings of wandering desire. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and a striving after the wind {and} a feeding on it!

Contemporary English Version
It's better to enjoy what we have than to always want something else, because that makes no more sense than chasing the wind.

Darby English Version
Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Good News Bible
It is useless; it is like chasing the wind. It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.

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

New American Standard Bible
What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.

New International Version
Better what the eye sees
than the roving of the appetite.
This too is meaningless,
a chasing after the wind.

New King James Version
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire.
This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
What the eyes see proves better than what the soul desires This too seems futile and a striving after wind.

Revised Standard Version
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Young's Literal Translation
Better `is' the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also `is' vanity and vexation of spirit.

New English Translation
It is better to be content with¹ what the eyes can see² than for one’s heart always to crave more.³ This continual longing⁴ is futile – like⁵ chasing the wind.

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