Ecclesiastes 6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
6 Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun,(A) and it weighs heavily on humanity:[a] 2 God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor(B) so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself,(C) but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy. 3 A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives,[b] if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial,(D) I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.(E) 4 For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5 Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. 6 And if he lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both go to the same place?
8 What advantage then does the wise man have over the fool?(G) What advantage is there for the poor person who knows how to conduct himself before others? 9 Better what the eyes see than wandering desire.(H) This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.(I)
10 Whatever exists was given its name long ago,[d](J) and it is known what man is. But he is not able to contend with the One stronger than he.(K) 11 For when there are many words, they increase futility.(L) What is the advantage for man? 12 For who knows what is good for man in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow?(M) Who can tell man what will happen after him under the sun?
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 6:1 Or it is common among men
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 Lit how many years
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit mouth
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 Lit name already
Ecclesiastes 6
New Living Translation
6 There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.
3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. 4 His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name, 5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. 6 He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?
7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. 8 So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?
9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
The Future—Determined and Unknown
10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.
11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?
12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
