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Ecclesiastes 6
New International Version

6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 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)

3 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) 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?(E)

7 Everyone’s toil is for their mouth,
    yet their appetite is never satisfied.(F)
8 What advantage have the wise over fools?(G)
What do the poor gain
    by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?
9 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?

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Ecclesiastes 6
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

6 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavily upon men:

2 A man to whom God has given riches, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he might desire, yet God does not give him the power or capacity to enjoy them [things which are gifts from God], but a stranger [in whom he has no interest succeeds him and] consumes and enjoys them. This is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility); it is a sore affliction!(A)

3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, but his life is not filled with good, and also he is given no burial [honors nor is laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], I say that [he who had] an untimely birth [resulting in death] is better off than he,(B)

4 For [the untimely one] comes in futility and goes into darkness, and in darkness his name is covered.

5 Moreover, he has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge, yet he [the stillborn child] has rest rather than he [who is aware of all that he has missed and all that he would not have had to suffer].

6 Even though he lives a thousand years twice over and yet has seen no good and experienced no enjoyment—do not all go to one place [the place of the dead]?

7 All the labor of man is for his mouth [for self-preservation and enjoyment], and yet his desire is not satisfied.(C)

8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool [being worldly-wise is not the secret to happiness]? What advantage has the poor man who has learned how to walk before the living [publicly, with men’s eyes upon him; being poor is not the secret to happiness either]?

9 Better is the sight of the eyes [the enjoyment of what is available to one] than the cravings of wandering desire. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it!

10 Whatever [man] is, he has been named that long ago, and it is known that it is man [a][Adam]; nor can he contend with Him who is mightier than he [whether God or death].

11 Seeing that there are [all these and] many other things and words that increase the emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility [of living], what profit and what outcome is there for man?

12 For who [[b]limited to human wisdom] knows what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow [going through the motions but accomplishing nothing]? For who can tell a man what will happen [to his work, his treasure, his plans] under the sun after he is gone?

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 6:10 The Hebrew “Adam” means man, of the ground. The very name witnesses to his frailty.
  2. Ecclesiastes 6:12 How impressive throughout Ecclesiastes is the evidence that, while Solomon is doing his utmost to prove that life is futile and not worth living, the Holy Spirit is using him to show that these conclusions are the tragic effect of living “under the sun”—ignoring the Lord, dwelling away from God the Father, oblivious of the Holy Spirit—and yet face to face with the mysteries of life and nature!
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Ecclesiastes 6
International Standard Version

Enjoyment of Life as a Gift from God

6 There exists another misfortune that I have observed on earth, and it is a heavy burden upon human beings: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, riches, and honor, so that he lacks none of his heart’s desires—but God does not give him the capability to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger consumes them. This is pointless and a grievous affliction.

3 A man might father a hundred children,[a] and live for many years, so that the length of his life[b] is long—but if his life does not overflow with goodness, and he doesn’t receive a proper[c] burial, I maintain that stillborn children[d] are better off than he is, 4 because stillborn children[e] arrive in pointlessness, leave in darkness, and their names are covered in darkness. 5 Furthermore, though they never saw the sun nor learned anything,[f] they are more content than the other. 6 Even if he lives a thousand years twice over without experiencing the best—aren’t all of them going to the same place?

7 Every person works for his own self-interests,[g]
    but his desires remain unsatisfied.
8 For what advantage has the wise person over the fool?
    What advantage does the poor man have
        in knowing how to face life?[h]
9 It is better to focus on what you can see
    than to meander after your self-interest;
        this also is pointless and a chasing after wind.

10 Whatever exists has been named already;[i]
    people know what it means[j] to be human—
        and a person cannot defeat one who is more powerful than he.
11 Because many words lead to pointlessness,
    how do people benefit from this?

12 Who knows what is best for people in this life, every day of their pointless lives that they pass through[k] like a shadow? Who informs people on earth what will come along after them?

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 6:3 The Heb. lacks children
  2. Ecclesiastes 6:3 Lit. years
  3. Ecclesiastes 6:3 The Heb. lacks proper
  4. Ecclesiastes 6:3 Lit. child; and so through v. 5
  5. Ecclesiastes 6:4 Lit. because he
  6. Ecclesiastes 6:5 The Heb. lacks anything
  7. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit. for his mouth
  8. Ecclesiastes 6:8 Lit. knows to walk before the living
  9. Ecclesiastes 6:10 I.e. its destiny is known
  10. Ecclesiastes 6:10 Lit. already; it is known
  11. Ecclesiastes 6:12 Or they spend
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Ecclesiastes 5
Ecclesiastes 7
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