The Futility of Life
6 There is an (A)evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread [a]among mankind: 2 a person to whom God has (B)given riches, wealth, and honor, so that his soul (C)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the opportunity to [b]enjoy these things, but a foreigner [c]enjoys them. This is futility and a severe affliction. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many [d]they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper (D)burial, then I say, “Better (E)the miscarriage than he, 4 for a miscarriage comes in futility and goes into darkness; and its name is covered in darkness. 5 It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet [e]it is better off than that man. 6 Even if the man lives a thousand years twice, but does not see good things—(F)do not all go to one and the same place?”
7 (G)All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet [f]his appetite is not [g]satisfied. 8 For (H)what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9 What the eyes (I)see is better than what the soul [h]desires. This too is (J)futility and striving after wind.
10 Whatever (K)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he (L)cannot dispute with the [i]one who is mightier than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a person? 12 For who knows what is good for a person during his lifetime, during the few [j]years of his futile life? He will [k]spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a person (M)what will happen after him under the sun?
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 6:1 Lit upon
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eat from it
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eats it
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 Lit the days of his years
- Ecclesiastes 6:5 Lit more rest has this one than that
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit the soul
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit filled
- Ecclesiastes 6:9 Lit goes after
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 Or Him who
- Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit days
- Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit do
Cross references
- Ecclesiastes 6:1 : Eccl 5:13
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 : 1 Kin 3:13
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 : Ps 17:14; 73:7; Eccl 2:10
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 : Is 14:20; Jer 8:2; 22:19
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 : Job 3:16; Eccl 4:3
- Ecclesiastes 6:6 : Eccl 2:14
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 : Prov 16:26
- Ecclesiastes 6:8 : Eccl 2:15
- Ecclesiastes 6:9 : Eccl 11:9
- Ecclesiastes 6:9 : Eccl 1:14
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 : Eccl 1:9; 3:15
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 : Job 9:32; 40:2; Prov 21:30; Is 45:9
- Ecclesiastes 6:12 : Eccl 3:22