The Futility of Life

There is an (A)evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread [a]among mankind: 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. 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, for a miscarriage comes in futility and goes into darkness; and its name is covered in darkness. It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet [e]it is better off than that man. 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?”

(G)All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet [f]his appetite is not [g]satisfied. 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? 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

我看見日光之下有一件可悲的事,重重地壓在人身上: 上帝賜給人財富和尊榮,叫他擁有所渴望的一切,卻使他無法享用,倒讓別人享用。這是虛空,是極大的悲哀。 人若有一百個兒子,並且長壽,但心中卻從未得到滿足,死後又不得安葬。唉!這樣的人還不如流產的胎兒。 這胎兒在虛空中來,在黑暗中去,名字隱沒在黑暗中, 沒有見過天日,一無所知,然而這胎兒比那人更享安息。 就算那人活了千年,又活千年,卻不能享受福樂,又如何呢?世人最終豈不都同歸一處嗎? 人人為口腹勞碌,卻永不滿足。 那麼,智者比愚人有什麼優勢呢?貧窮人即使懂得如何處世,又有什麼益處呢? 滿足於眼前所有的,勝過心中貪想的。這也是虛空,如同捕風。 10 一切存在的事物都已有了名字,人的本質也被識透了;人無法與比他更強的較量。 11 其實話越多,越虛空,這對人又有什麼益處? 12 人生短暫虛空,如影飛逝,有誰知道什麼對人有益?誰能告訴人死後日光之下會發生什麼事?

I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 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)

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) It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?(E)

Everyone’s toil is for their mouth,
    yet their appetite is never satisfied.(F)
What advantage have the wise over fools?(G)
What do the poor gain
    by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?
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?

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

10 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?