Ecclesiastes 6
The Futility of Life
1There is an aevil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent ▼▼ Lit upon
among men— 2a man to whom God has cgiven riches and wealth and honor so that his soul dlacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner ▼▼ Lit eats from them
enjoys them. This is ▼▼ Or futility
vanity and a severe affliction. 3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many ▼▼ Lit the days of his years
they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper hburial, then I say, “Better ithe miscarriage than he, 4for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. 5“It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; ▼▼ Lit more rest has this one than that
it is better off than he. 6“Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not ▼▼ Lit see
enjoy good things— ldo not all go to one place?” 7 mAll a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the ▼▼ Lit soul
appetite is not ▼▼ Lit filled
satisfied. 8For pwhat advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9What the eyes qsee is better than what the soul ▼▼ Lit goes after
desires. This too is sfutility and a striving after wind. 10Whatever texists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he ucannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. 11For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? 12For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few ▼▼ Lit days
years of his futile life? He will ▼▼ Lit do
spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man xwhat will be after him under the sun?
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