Kohelet (Ecc) 6
6
1I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on people: 2the 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.
3Suppose 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. 4For the arrival of a stillborn baby is a futile thing, and its departure is in darkness; its name is [forgotten,] covered in darkness; 5and although it has never seen or known the sun, it is more content than he is, 6without enjoying himself, even if he were to live a thousand years twice over. Doesn’t everyone go to the same place?
7The purpose of all toil is to fill the mouth,
yet the appetite is never satisfied.
8What advantage has the wise over the fool,
or the person with experience, if he is poor?
9Better what the eyes can see
than meandering desire.
Yet this too is pointless
and feeding on wind.
10Whatever 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].
11There are many things that only add to futility,
so how do humans benefit from them?
12For 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?
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Kohelet (Ecc) 6: CJB
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