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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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Ecclesiastes 6
New American Standard Bible

The Futility of Life

6 There is an (A)evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread [a]among mankind: 2 a person to whom God has (B)given riches, wealth, and honor, so that his soul (C)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the opportunity to [b]enjoy these things, but a foreigner [c]enjoys them. This is futility and a severe affliction. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many [d]they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper (D)burial, then I say, “Better (E)the miscarriage than he, 4 for a miscarriage comes in futility and goes into darkness; and its name is covered in darkness. 5 It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet [e]it is better off than that man. 6 Even if the man lives a thousand years twice, but does not see good things—(F)do not all go to one and the same place?”

7 (G)All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet [f]his appetite is not [g]satisfied. 8 For (H)what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9 What the eyes (I)see is better than what the soul [h]desires. This too is (J)futility and striving after wind.

10 Whatever (K)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he (L)cannot dispute with the [i]one who is mightier than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a person? 12 For who knows what is good for a person during his lifetime, during the few [j]years of his futile life? He will [k]spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a person (M)what will happen after him under the sun?

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 6:1 Lit upon
  2. Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eat from it
  3. Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eats it
  4. Ecclesiastes 6:3 Lit the days of his years
  5. Ecclesiastes 6:5 Lit more rest has this one than that
  6. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit the soul
  7. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit filled
  8. Ecclesiastes 6:9 Lit goes after
  9. Ecclesiastes 6:10 Or Him who
  10. Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit days
  11. Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit do
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Ecclesiastes 6
English Standard Version

6 (A)There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man (B)to whom (C)God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he (D)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God (E)does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;[a] it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that (F)the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's (G)good things, and he also has no (H)burial, I say that (I)a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not (J)seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds (K)rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy[b] no good—do not all go to the one place?

7 (L)All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.[c] 8 For what advantage has the wise man (M)over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better (N)is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is (O)vanity and a striving after wind.

10 Whatever has come to be has (P)already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to (Q)dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his (R)vain[d] life, which he passes like (S)a shadow? For who can tell man what will be (T)after him under the sun?

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 6:2 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 4, 9, 11 (see note on 1:2)
  2. Ecclesiastes 6:6 Or see
  3. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Hebrew filled
  4. Ecclesiastes 6:12 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
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Ecclesiastes 5
Ecclesiastes 7
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