Futility of Living Without God

6 There is a misery that I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon humanity. ² God gives a man riches, wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to eat from it—instead a foreigner will eat it. This is fruitless—an agonizing illness.

³ Even if a man should father a hundred children and live many years, however many the days of his years may be, yet his soul is never satisfied with his prosperity and he does not have a proper burial, then I say that it is better for the stillborn than him. ⁴ Even though it comes in futility and departs into darkness, though its name is shrouded in darkness, ⁵ though it has never seen or experienced the sun, it has more rest than the other. ⁶ Even if the other man were to live a thousand years twice and never enjoy good things—do not all go to the same place?

⁷ All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. ⁸ So what advantage has the wise over the fool? What does the pauper gain by knowing how to walk before the living? ⁹ Better is what the eyes see than the pursuit of the soul’s desires. This too is fleeting and striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever exists has already been named, and it has been made known what humanity is. But man cannot contend with the One who is mightier than he. ¹¹ When there are many words, futility increases! How does that benefit anyone?

¹² For who knows what is good for one during his life—during the few days of his fleeting life—that pass like a shadow? For who can tell a person what happens after him under the sun?