en_cjb - Ecc 6 - Ozzuu Bible

¹ I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on people:

² the case in which God gives someone riches, wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing that he wants; but God does not give him the power to enjoy them, and some stranger gets to enjoy them — this is meaningless, evil, sick.

³ Suppose a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that he has a long life, but he fails to enjoy himself; then, even if he were to [live indefinitely and therefore] never be buried, I say that it would be better to be born dead.

⁴ For the arrival of a stillborn baby is a futile thing, and its departure is in darkness; its name is [forgotten,] covered in darkness;

⁵ and although it has never seen or known the sun, it is more content than he is,

⁶ without enjoying himself, even if he were to live a thousand years twice over. Doesn’t everyone go to the same place?

⁷ The purpose of all toil is to fill the mouth, yet the appetite is never satisfied.

⁸ What advantage has the wise over the fool, or the person with experience, if he is poor?

⁹ Better what the eyes can see than meandering desire. Yet this too is pointless and feeding on wind.

¹⁰ Whatever he is, he was named long ago, and it is known that he is merely human; moreover, he cannot defeat what is mightier than he [death].

¹¹ There are many things that only add to futility, so how do humans benefit from them?

¹² For who knows what is good for someone during life, during the days of his pointless life spent like a shadow? Who can tell what will happen under the sun after a person is gone?