(A)There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man (B)to whom (C)God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he (D)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God (E)does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;[a] it is a grievous evil. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that (F)the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's (G)good things, and he also has no (H)burial, I say that (I)a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not (J)seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds (K)rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy[b] no good—do not all go to the one place?

(L)All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.[c] For what advantage has the wise man (M)over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better (N)is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is (O)vanity and a striving after wind.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 6:2 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 4, 9, 11 (see note on 1:2)
  2. Ecclesiastes 6:6 Or see
  3. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Hebrew filled

The Frustration of Desires

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind:(A) those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous ill.(B) A man may father a hundred children and live many years, but however many are the days of his years, if he does not enjoy life’s good things or has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.(C) For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered; moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over yet enjoy no good—do not all go to one place?

All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied.(D) For what advantage have the wise over fools? And what do the poor have who know how to conduct themselves before the living?(E) Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.(F)

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