Ecclesiastes 6
6
Those Who Have Wealth but Do Not Enjoy It Are Pitiful
1Here is another misfortune that I have seen under the sun, and it is prevalent among humankind. 2God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; yet God does not enable him to enjoy it—instead someone else ends up enjoying it. This is vanity—indeed, it is a grievous ill!
3Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, if his heart#Or “his soul” is not satisfied with his prosperity#Literally “the good” and he does not receive a proper burial,#Literally “and also there is no burial for him” I deem the stillborn better than him. 4For he comes into vanity and departs into darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5He has neither seen nor known the sun, yet he has more rest than him. 6Even if a man#Hebrew “he” lives a thousand years twice, if he#Hebrew “and” does not enjoy prosperity,#Literally “good” both suffer the same fate!#Literally “are not the all going to the same place?”
One Must Learn to Be Content with What One Has
7All of a man’s toil is for his mouth—
yet his appetite is never satisfied.
8So do the wise really have an advantage over fools?
Can the poor really gain anything by knowing how to act in front of others?#Literally “What is there for the poor knowing how to conduct themselves before the living?”
9Better to be content with what your eyes see
than for your soul to constantly crave more.#Literally “Sight of the eyes is better than wandering of desire”
This also is vanity and chasing wind!
It is Futile for Humans to Complain about God’s Irresistible Will
10Whatever is—it was already determined,
what will be—it has already been decided.#Literally “and his name is known what he is man”
As for man, he cannot argue
against what is more powerful than him.
11Increasing words only multiplies futility,#Literally “Where there are numerous words, it makes numerous vanity”
how does that profit anyone?
The Future is Inscrutable to Humans
12For who knows what is good for a man in his life during the few days of his fleeting life, which are fleeting as a shadow? For who can tell anyone what will happen in the future#Literally “after him” under the sun?
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Ecclesiastes 6
6
1I have noticed that in this world a serious injustice is done. 2God will give someone wealth, honour, and property, yes, everything he wants, but then will not let him enjoy it. Some stranger will enjoy it instead. It is useless, and it's all wrong. 3A person may have a hundred children and live a long time, but no matter how long he lives, if he does not get his share of happiness and does not receive a decent burial, then I say that a baby born dead is better off. 4It does that baby no good to be born; it disappears into darkness, where it is forgotten. 5It never sees the light of day or knows what life is like, but at least it has found rest — 6more so than the man who never enjoys life, though he may live 2,000 years. After all, both of them are going to the same place.
7People do all their work just to get something to eat, but they never have enough. 8How are the wise better off than fools? What good does it do the poor to know how to face life? 9It is useless; it is like chasing the wind. It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.
10Everything that happens was already determined long ago, and we all know that you#6.10 and we… you; or and our nature is already known; you. cannot argue with someone who is stronger than you are. 11The longer you argue, the more useless it is, and you are no better off. 12How can anyone know what is best for us in this short, useless life of ours — a life that passes like a shadow? How can we know what will happen in the world after we die?
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.