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Ecclesiastes 6
Lexham English Bible
Ecclesiastes 6
Lexham English Bible
Those Who Have Wealth but Do Not Enjoy It Are Pitiful
6 Here is another misfortune that I have seen under the sun, and it is prevalent among humankind. 2 God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; yet God does not enable him to enjoy it—instead someone else ends up enjoying it. This is vanity—indeed, it is a grievous ill!
3 Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, if his heart[a] is not satisfied with his prosperity[b] and he does not receive a proper burial,[c] I deem the stillborn better than him. 4 For he comes into vanity and departs into darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5 He has neither seen nor known the sun, yet he has more rest than him. 6 Even if a man[d] lives a thousand years twice, if he[e] does not enjoy prosperity,[f] both suffer the same fate![g]
One Must Learn to Be Content with What One Has
7 All of a man’s toil is for his mouth—
yet his appetite is never satisfied.
8 So do the wise really have an advantage over fools?
Can the poor really gain anything by knowing how to act in front of others?[h]
9 Better to be content with what your eyes see
than for your soul to constantly crave more.[i]
This also is vanity and chasing wind!
It is Futile for Humans to Complain about God’s Irresistible Will
10 Whatever is—it was already determined,
what will be—it has already been decided.[j]
As for man, he cannot argue
against what is more powerful than him.
11 Increasing words only multiplies futility,[k]
how does that profit anyone?
The Future is Inscrutable to Humans
12 For who knows what is good for a man in his life during the few days of his fleeting life, which are fleeting as a shadow? For who can tell anyone what will happen in the future[l] under the sun?
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 Or “his soul”
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 Literally “the good”
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 Literally “and also there is no burial for him”
- Ecclesiastes 6:6 Hebrew “he”
- Ecclesiastes 6:6 Hebrew “and”
- Ecclesiastes 6:6 Literally “good”
- Ecclesiastes 6:6 Literally “are not the all going to the same place?”
- Ecclesiastes 6:8 Literally “What is there for the poor knowing how to conduct themselves before the living?”
- Ecclesiastes 6:9 Literally “Sight of the eyes is better than wandering of desire”
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 Literally “and his name is known what he is man”
- Ecclesiastes 6:11 Literally “Where there are numerous words, it makes numerous vanity”
- Ecclesiastes 6:12 Literally “after him”
Ecclesiastes 6
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 6
New International Version
6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them,(A) and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.(B)
3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn(C) child is better off than he.(D) 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?(E)
7 Everyone’s toil is for their mouth,
yet their appetite is never satisfied.(F)
8 What advantage have the wise over fools?(G)
What do the poor gain
by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?
9 Better what the eye sees
than the roving of the appetite.
This too is meaningless,
a chasing after the wind.(H)
10 Whatever exists has already been named,(I)
and what humanity is has been known;
no one can contend
with someone who is stronger.
11 The more the words,
the less the meaning,
and how does that profit anyone?
12 For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days(J) they pass through like a shadow?(K) Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?
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