Ecclesiastes 6
aThere is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man ato whom bGod gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he clacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God ddoes not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that athe days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s bgood things, and he also has no cburial, I say that da stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not aseen the sun or known anything, yet it finds brest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place?
7 aAll the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. 8 For what advantage has the wise man aover the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better ais the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is bvanity and a striving after wind.
10 Whatever has come to be has aalready been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to bdispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his avain life, which he passes like ba shadow? For who can tell man what will be cafter him under the sun?
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.