Ecclesiastes 6 - Amplified Bible(AMP)

The Futility of Life

1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men:

2a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the power or capacity to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity and it is a great distress.

3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he is not respected and is not given a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,

4for the miscarriage comes in futility (in vain) and passes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.

5It has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge; yet it has more rest and is better off than he.

6Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice over and yet has seen no good and experienced no enjoyment—do not both go to one place?”

7All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the desire is not satisfied.

8For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? What advantage has the poor man who has learned how to walk among the living?

9What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and chasing after the wind.

10Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with Him who is mightier than he.

11For there are many other words that increase futility. What then is the advantage for a man?

12For who knows what is good for man during his lifetime, during the few days of his futile life? He spends them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?