1 The Vanity of Life There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent 6:1 Lit upon among men—
2 a man to whom God gives riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God does not empower him to eat from them, for a foreigner eats from them. This is 6:2Or futility vanity and a sickening evil.
3 If a man becomes the father of one hundredchildrenand lives many years, however many the days of his years may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things, and he does not even have aproperburial,thenI say, “Better the miscarriage than he,
4 forthatone comes in vanity and goes into darkness; andthatone’s name is covered in darkness.
5 Indeed,thatone never sees the sun and never knowsanything; 6:5 Lit more rest has this one than that thatone has more rest than he.
6 Even if theotherman lives one thousand years twice and does not see good things—do not all go to the same place?”
7 All a man’s labor is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not fulfilled.
8 For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? Whatadvantagedoes the afflicted man have, knowinghowto walk before the living?
9 What the eyes see is better than what the soul goes after. This too is vanity and striving after wind.
10 Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; and he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.
11 For there are many words which increase vanity. Whatthenis the advantage to a man?
12 For who knows what is good for a man duringhislifetime,duringthe few days of his vain life? He will make do with them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?