Ecc 6 | NASB1995 | STEP | There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men

Ecclesiastes 6

The Futility of Life

1 There is an ^aevil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent ^{▼▼ Lit upon}among men— 2 a man to whom God has ^cgiven riches and wealth and honor so that his soul ^dlacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner ^{▼▼ Lit eats from them}enjoys them. This is ^{▼▼ Or futility}vanity and a severe affliction. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many ^{▼▼ Lit the days of his years}they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper ^hburial, then I say, “Better ⁱthe miscarriage than he, 4 for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. 5 “It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; ^{▼▼ Lit more rest has this one than that}it is better off than he. 6 “Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not ^{▼▼ Lit see}enjoy good things— ^ldo not all go to one place?”

7 ^mAll a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the ^{▼▼ Lit soul}appetite is not ^{▼▼ Lit filled}satisfied. 8 For ^pwhat advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9 What the eyes ^qsee is better than what the soul ^{▼▼ Lit goes after}desires. This too is ^sfutility and a striving after wind.

10 Whatever ^texists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he ^ucannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? 12 For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few ^{▼▼ Lit days}years of his futile life? He will ^{▼▼ Lit do}spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man ^xwhat will be after him under the sun?