Chapter 6

There is an evil which I have seen¹ under the sun, and it [is] common among men:

A man to whom God hath given⁴ riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth,¹⁰¹ yet God giveth him not power⁵⁵ to eat² thereof, but a stranger ⁵²³⁷ eateth⁴ it: this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.

If a man beget⁵⁵ an hundred [children], and live⁴ many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled⁴ with good, and also [that] he have no burial; I say,¹ [that] an untimely birth [is] better than he.

For he cometh¹ in with vanity, and departeth⁴ in darkness, and his name shall be covered²⁹ with darkness.

Moreover he hath not seen¹ the sun, nor known¹ [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.

Yea, though he live¹ a thousand years twice [told], yet hath he seen¹ no good: do not all go⁶ to one place?

All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.¹¹

For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth⁶ to walk² before the living?

Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering² of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.

That which hath been is named^{8 8034} already, and it is known¹² that it [is] man: neither may⁴ he contend² with him that is mightier than he.

Seeing there be many⁵³ things that increase⁵⁶ vanity, what [is] man the better?

For who knoweth⁶ what [is] good for man in [this] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth⁴ as a shadow? for who can tell⁵⁵ a man what shall be after him under the sun?