The Futility of Life
1 There is an (A)evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent (a)among men—
2 a man to whom God has (B)given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul (C)lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner (b)enjoys them. This is (c)vanity and a severe affliction.
3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many (d)they 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 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; (e)it is better off than he.
6 Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not (f)enjoy good things—(F)do not all go to one place?”
7 (G)All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the (g)appetite is not (h)satisfied.
8 For (H)what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?
9 What the eyes (I)see is better than what the soul (i)desires. This too is (J)futility and a striving after wind.
10 Whatever (K)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he (L)cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.
11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?
12 For who knows what is good for a man 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 man (M)what will be after him under the sun?
Footnotes:
a.
Ecclesiastes 6:1: ['Lit ', upon]
b.
Ecclesiastes 6:2: ['Lit ', eats from them]
c.
Ecclesiastes 6:2: ['Or ', futility]
d.
Ecclesiastes 6:3: ['Lit ', the days of his years]
e.
Ecclesiastes 6:5: ['Lit ', more rest has this one than that]
f.
Ecclesiastes 6:6: ['Lit ', see]
g.
Ecclesiastes 6:7: ['Lit ', soul]
h.
Ecclesiastes 6:7: ['Lit ', filled]
i.
Ecclesiastes 6:9: ['Lit ', goes after]
j.
Ecclesiastes 6:12: ['Lit ', days]
k.
Ecclesiastes 6:12: ['Lit ', do]