6 The miserable estate of him to whom God hath given riches, and not the grace to use them.
1 There is an evil, which I saw under the sun, and it is much among men:
2 A man to whom God hath given riches and treasures and honor, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth: but [a]God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a strange man shall eat it up: this is vanity, and this is an evil sickness.
3 If a man beget an hundred children and live many years, and the days of his years be multiplied: and his soul be not [b]satisfied with good things, and he be not [c]buried, I say that an untimely fruit is better than he.
4 For [d]he cometh into vanity, and goeth into darkness: and his name shall be covered with darkness.
5 Also he hath not seen the sun, nor known it: therefore this hath more rest than the other.
6 And if he had lived a thousand years twice told, and had seen no good, shall not all go to one place?
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth: yet the [e]soul is not filled.
8 For what hath the wise man more than the fool? what hath the poor that [f]knoweth how to walk before the living?
9 The [g]sight of the eye is better than to walk in the lusts: this also is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
10 What is that that hath been? the name thereof is now named: and it is known that it is man: and he cannot strive with him that is [h]stronger than he.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 He showeth that it is the plague of God when the rich man hath not a liberal heart to use his riches.
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 If he can never have enough.
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 As we see oftentimes that the covetous man either falleth into crimes that deserve death, or is murdered or drowned or hangeth himself, or such like, and so lacketh the honor of burial, which is the last office of humanity.
- Ecclesiastes 6:4 Meaning, the untimely fruit whose life did neither profit or hurt any.
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 His desire and affection.
- Ecclesiastes 6:8 That knoweth to use his goods well in the judgment of men.
- Ecclesiastes 6:9 To be content with that which God hath given, is better than to follow the desires that never can be satisfied.
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 Meaning, God who will make him to feel that he is mortal.