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?