The Futility of Life
6
There is an Aevil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent 1among men a man to whom God has Agiven riches and wealth and honor so that his soul Blacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner 1enjoys them. This is 2vanity and a severe affliction. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many 1they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper Aburial, then I say, “Better Bthe miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; 1it is better off than he. Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not 1enjoy good thingsAdo not all go to one place?”
AAll a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the 1appetite is not 2satisfied. For Awhat advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? What the eyes Asee is better than what the soul 1desires. This too is Bfutility and a striving after wind.
10  Whatever Aexists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he Bcannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? 12 For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few 1years of his futile life? He will 2spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man Awhat will be after him under the sun?
A 6:1 Eccl 5:13 1 6:1 Lit upon A 6:2 1 Kin 3:13 B 6:2 Ps 17:14; 73:7; Eccl 2:10 1 6:2 Lit eats from them 2 6:2 Or futility 1 6:3 Lit the days of his years A 6:3 Is 14:20; Jer 8:2; 22:19 B 6:3 Job 3:16; Eccl 4:3 1 6:5 Lit more rest has this one than that 1 6:6 Lit see A 6:6 Eccl 2:14 A 6:7 Prov 16:26 1 6:7 Lit soul 2 6:7 Lit filled A 6:8 Eccl 2:15 A 6:9 Eccl 11:9 1 6:9 Lit goes after B 6:9 Eccl 1:14 A 6:10 Eccl 1:9; 3:15 B 6:10 Job 9:32; 40:2; Prov 21:30; Is 45:9 1 6:12 Lit days 2 6:12 Lit do A 6:12 Eccl 3:22