Ecclesiastes 6 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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

  1. Ecclesiastes 6:1 Lit upon
  2. Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eat from it
  3. Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eats it
  4. Ecclesiastes 6:3 Lit the days of his years
  5. Ecclesiastes 6:5 Lit more rest has this one than that
  6. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit the soul
  7. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit filled
  8. Ecclesiastes 6:9 Lit goes after
  9. Ecclesiastes 6:10 Or Him who
  10. Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit days
  11. Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit do

Cross references

  1. Ecclesiastes 6:1 : Eccl 5:13
  2. Ecclesiastes 6:2 : 1 Kin 3:13
  3. Ecclesiastes 6:2 : Ps 17:14; 73:7; Eccl 2:10
  4. Ecclesiastes 6:3 : Is 14:20; Jer 8:2; 22:19
  5. Ecclesiastes 6:3 : Job 3:16; Eccl 4:3
  6. Ecclesiastes 6:6 : Eccl 2:14
  7. Ecclesiastes 6:7 : Prov 16:26
  8. Ecclesiastes 6:8 : Eccl 2:15
  9. Ecclesiastes 6:9 : Eccl 11:9
  10. Ecclesiastes 6:9 : Eccl 1:14
  11. Ecclesiastes 6:10 : Eccl 1:9; 3:15
  12. Ecclesiastes 6:10 : Job 9:32; 40:2; Prov 21:30; Is 45:9
  13. Ecclesiastes 6:12 : Eccl 3:22

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6 Also another evil there is (There is also another evil), which I saw under the sun; and certainly it is oft used with men. 2 A man is, to whom God gave riches, and chattel, and honour; and nothing faileth to his soul of all things which he desireth; and God giveth not power to him, that he eat the...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - World English Bible (WEB)

6 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men: 2 a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease. 3 ...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - The Voice (VOICE)

6 Teacher: I have seen another injustice under the sun, one that is a real burden upon humanity. 2 Sometimes God gives money, possessions, and even honor, so that we have everything a person might desire; nothing is lacking. But then, for reasons God only knows, God does not allow him to enjoy the ...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Futility of Living Without God6 There is a misery that I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon humanity. 2 God gives a man riches, wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to eat from it—instead a foreigner will eat it. This is fruitless...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Frustration of Desires6 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon men: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them; this is van...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Frustration of Desires6 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind: 2 those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honour, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Frustration of Desires6 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind:(A)2 those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - New Living Translation (NLT)

6 There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up en...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - New Life Version (NLV)

6 There is another bad thing which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard for men: 2 God gives a man riches and many good things and honor, so that he has everything he wants. But He does not allow him to have joy from them, for a stranger has joy from them. This is for nothing, and is very bad....
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Ecclesiastes 6 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Wealth Is Not the Goal of Life6 There(A) is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, (B)so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; (C)yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner con...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honour, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - New International Version (NIV)

6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them,(A) and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievou...
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Ecclesiastes 6 - New English Translation (NET)

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