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On onnettomuus tämäkin, jonka olen nähnyt auringon alla ja joka raskaasti painaa ihmistä:

että Jumala antaa miehelle rikkautta ja tavaraa ja kunniaa, niin ettei hänen sielultaan puutu mitään kaikesta siitä, mitä hän halajaa, mutta Jumala ei salli hänen nauttia sitä, vaan sen nauttii vieras. Se on turhuutta ja raskas kärsimys.

Vaikka syntyisi miehelle sata lasta ja hän eläisi vuosia paljon ja paljot olisivat hänen vuottensa päivät, mutta hän ei saisi tyydyttää omaa haluaan omaisuudellansa eikä saisi edes hautaustakaan, niin minä sanon, että keskoinen olisi onnellisempi kuin hän.

Sillä se turhaan tulee ja pimeyteen menee, ja pimeyteen peittyy sen nimi.

Ei se ole aurinkoa nähnyt eikä tuntenut. Sen lepo on parempi kuin hänen.

Ja vaikka hän eläisi kaksi kertaa tuhannen vuotta, mutta ei saisi onnea nähdä - eikö kuitenkin kaikki mene samaan paikkaan?

Kaikki ihmisen vaivannäkö tapahtuu hänen oman suunsa hyväksi, ja kuitenkaan ei halu täyty.

Sillä mitä etua on viisaalla tyhmän edellä, ja mitä kurjalla siitä, että hän osaa oikein vaeltaa elävitten edessä?

Parempi silmän näkö kuin halun haihattelu. Tämäkin on turhuutta ja tuulen tavoittelua.

10 Mitä olemassa on, sille on pantu nimi jo ammoin; ja edeltä tunnettua on ollut, mitä ihmisestä on tuleva. Ei voi hän riidellä väkevämpänsä kanssa.

11 Sillä niin on: puheen paljous enentää turhuutta. Mitä etua on ihmisellä siitä?

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?