Ecclesiastes 6:6-8
The Voice
6 Even if a person were to live one thousand years twice over, but could find no satisfaction, don’t we all end up going to the same place?
The words, “it would be better if that person had been stillborn,” may shock the modern reader because it is hoped that no child is stillborn; believers pray for a good life for all of God’s creatures. But the writer of Ecclesiastes does not dwell on the fate of the stillborn; instead he contrasts the life of the person who finds no good in life with the fate of the child who never drew breath, never saw the sun, and never was given a name. Life is a gift from God, and the teacher admonishes his readers to find the good in that gift. Yes, sometimes life is not fair; yes, sometimes life deals harsh blows; yes, life slips away far too quickly. But as long as someone draws breath, he or she should find the good in that life.
Teacher: 7 As the saying goes, “All of our toil is food for our mouths.” We eat; we drink, and yet deep down we do not feel satisfied. 8 What good is it to be wise? Are the wise better off than fools? And what do the poor know that others do not when they conduct themselves before the public?[a]
Footnotes
- 6:8 Meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
