Ecclesiastes, the Preacher

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

The futility of life

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

A 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.

If 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Better 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.

He 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.

There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.

The futility of life

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

a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he;

for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.

Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.

For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?