1
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it iscommon among men:
2
A man to whom God hath givenriches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a strangereateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evildisease.
3
If a manbeget an hundred children, and livemanyyears, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
4
For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
5
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more restthan the other.
6
Yea, though he live a thousandyearstwice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to oneplace?
7
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8
For what hath the wisemore than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
10
That which hath been is namedalready, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
11
Seeing there bemanythings that increasevanity, what is man the better?
12
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vainlife which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?