The Rich Person and the Stillborn Baby

6 There is a tragedy that I have seen under the sun. It is a terrible one for mortals. ² Elohim gives one person riches, wealth, and honor so that he doesn’t lack anything he wants. Yet, Elohim doesn’t give him the power to enjoy any of them. Instead, a stranger enjoys them. This is pointless and is a painful tragedy.

³ Suppose a rich person wasn’t satisfied with good things while he was alive and didn’t even get an honorable burial after he died. Suppose he had a hundred children and lived for many years. No matter how long he would have lived, it still would have been better for him to have been born dead. ⁴ A stillborn baby arrives in a pointless birth and goes out into the darkness. The darkness then hides its name. ⁵ Though it has never seen the sun or known anything, the baby finds more rest than the rich person. ⁶ Even if the rich person lives two thousand years without experiencing anything good—don’t we all go to the same place?

More Pointless Challenges

⁷ Everything that people work so hard for goes into their mouths, but their appetite is never satisfied.

⁸ What advantage does a wise person have over a fool? What advantage does a poor person have in knowing how to face life?

⁹ It is better to look at what is in front of you than to go looking for what you want. Even this is pointless. It’s like trying to catch the wind.

¹⁰ Whatever has happened in the past already has a name. Mortals are already known for what they are. Mortals cannot argue with the one who is stronger than they.

¹¹ The more words there are, the more pointless they become. What advantage do mortals gain from this? ¹² Who knows what may be good for mortals while they are alive, during the brief, pointless days they live? Mortals pass by like a shadow. Who will tell them about their future under the sun?