There is an aevil
which
I have seen
under
the sun
and it is prevalent
1among
men
--
a man to whom
God
has agiven
riches
and wealth
and honor
so that his soul
blacks
nothing
of all
that he desires
; yet God
has not empowered
him to eat
from them, for a foreigner
1enjoys
them. This
is 2vanity
and a severe
affliction
.
If a man
fathers
a hundred
children and lives
many
years
, however many
1they be, but his soul
is not satisfied
with good
things
and he does not even
have
a proper aburial
, then I say
, "Better
bthe miscarriage
than
he,
for it comes in futility
and goes
into obscurity
; and its name
is covered
in obscurity
.
"It never sees
the sun
and it never
knows
anything; 1it is better
off than
he.
"Even if the other man lives
a thousand
years
twice
and does not 1enjoy
good
things
-- ado not all
go
to one
place
?"
aAll a man's
labor
is for his mouth
and yet
the 1appetite
is not 2satisfied
.
For awhat advantage
does the wise
man
have over
the fool
? What
advantage does the poor
man
have, knowing
how to walk
before
the living
?
What the eyes
asee
is better
than
what the soul
1desires
. This
too
is bfutility
and a striving
after wind
.
Whatever aexists
has already
been named
, and it is known
what
man
is; for he bcannot
dispute
with him who
is stronger
than
he is.
For there are many
words
which increase
futility
. What
then is the advantage
to a man
?
For who knows
what
is good
for a man
during his lifetime
, during the few
1years
of his futile
life
? He will 2spend
them like a shadow
. For who
can tell
a man
awhat
will be after
him under
the sun
?