Kohelet 6

1There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:

2A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.

3If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.

4For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.

5He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:

6Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?

7All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.

8What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?

9Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.

10He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.

11There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.

1[Est et aliud malum quod vidi sub sole, et quidem frequens apud homines:

2vir cui dedit Deus divitias, et substantiam, et honorem, et nihil deest animæ suæ ex omnibus quæ desiderat; nec tribuit ei potestatem Deus ut comedat ex eo, sed homo extraneus vorabit illud: hoc vanitas et miseria magna est.

3Si genuerit quispiam centum liberos, et vixerit multos annos, et plures dies ætatis habuerit, et anima illius non utatur bonis substantiæ suæ, sepulturaque careat: de hoc ergo pronuntio quod melior illo sit abortivus.

4Frustra enim venit, et pergit ad tenebras, et oblivione delebitur nomen ejus.

5Non vidit solem, neque cognovit distantiam boni et mali.

6Etiam si duobus millibus annis vixerit, et non fuerit perfruitus bonis, nonne ad unum locum properant omnia?

7Omnis labor hominis in ore ejus; sed anima ejus non implebitur.

8Quid habet amplius sapiens a stulto? et quid pauper, nisi ut pergat illuc ubi est vita?

9Melius est videre quod cupias, quam desiderare quod nescias. Sed et hoc vanitas est, et præsumptio spiritus.

10Qui futurus est, jam vocatum est nomen ejus; et scitur quod homo sit, et non possit contra fortiorem se in judicio contendere.

11Verba sunt plurima, multamque in disputando habentia vanitatem.]

1There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and, indeed, it is frequent among men.

2It is a man to whom God has given wealth, and resources, and honor; and out of all that he desires, nothing is lacking to his life; yet God does not grant him the ability to consume these things, but instead a man who is a stranger will devour them. This is emptiness and a great misfortune.

3If a man were to produce one hundred children, and to live for many years, and to attain to an age of many days, and if his soul were to make no use of the goods of his resources, and if he were lacking even a burial: concerning such a man, I declare that a miscarried child is better than he.

4For he arrives without a purpose and he continues on into darkness, and his name shall be wiped away, into oblivion.

5He has not seen the sun, nor recognized the difference between good and evil.

6Even if he were to live for two thousand years, and yet not thoroughly enjoy what is good, does not each one hurry on to the same place?

7Every labor of man is for his mouth, but his soul will not be filled.

8What do the wise have which is more than the foolish? And what does the pauper have, except to continue on to that place, where there is life?

9It is better to see what you desire, than to desire what you cannot know. But this, too, is emptiness and a presumption of spirit.

10Whoever shall be in the future, his name has already been called. And it is known that he is a man and that he is not able to contend in judgment against one who is stronger than himself.

11There are many words, and many of these, in disputes, hold much emptiness.