Ecclesiastes 6

1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל־הָאָדָם׃ (3539)

See also: Ecclesiastes 5:13, Ecclesiastes 10:5, Ecclesiastes 9:13

2A man to whom God hath given riches, 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 stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן־לֹו הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבֹוד וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשֹׁו ׀ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּה וְלֹא־יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי אִישׁ נָכְרִי יֹאכֲלֶנּוּ זֶה הֶבֶל וָחֳלִי רָע הוּא׃ (5946)

3If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, 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.

אִם־יֹולִיד אִישׁ מֵאָה וְשָׁנִים רַבֹּות יִחְיֶה וְרַב ׀ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי־שָׁנָיו וְנַפְשֹׁו לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע מִן־הַטֹּובָה וְגַם־קְבוּרָה לֹא־הָיְתָה לֹּו אָמַרְתִּי טֹוב מִמֶּנּוּ הַנָּפֶל׃ (5650)

4For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

כִּי־בַהֶבֶל בָּא וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ שְׁמֹו יְכֻסֶּה׃ (1245)

See also: Exodus 10:21, Psalms 109:13

5Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

גַּם־שֶׁמֶשׁ לֹא־רָאָה וְלֹא יָדָע נַחַת לָזֶה מִזֶּה׃ (1593)

See also: Ecclesiastes 11:7, Job 3:10-13, Job 14:1, Psalms 58:8, Psalms 90:7-9

6Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

וְאִלּוּ חָיָה אֶלֶף שָׁנִים פַּעֲמַיִם וְטֹובָה לֹא רָאָה הֲלֹא אֶל־מָקֹום אֶחָד הַכֹּל הֹולֵךְ׃ (1464)

See also: Ecclesiastes 3:20, Hebrews 9:27, Job 30:23, Ecclesiastes 9:2, Genesis 5:5, Genesis 5:23-24, Job 1:21, Job 7:7, Psalms 4:6-7, Psalms 34:12, Ecclesiastes 2:14, Ecclesiastes 6:3, Ecclesiastes 11:8, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Isaiah 65:20, Isaiah 65:22, Jeremiah 17:6

7All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

כָּל־עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵא׃ (1357)

See also: Proverbs 27:20, John 6:27, Proverbs 16:26, 1 Timothy 6:6-8, Matthew 6:25, Ecclesiastes 5:10, Ecclesiastes 6:3, Luke 12:19, Psalms 127:2, Genesis 3:17-19, Ecclesiastes 2:22, Genesis 48:15

8For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

כִּי מַה־יֹּותֵר לֶחָכָם מִן־הַכְּסִיל מַה־לֶּעָנִי יֹודֵעַ לַהֲלֹךְ נֶגֶד הַחַיִּים׃ (1514)

See also: Proverbs 19:1, Ecclesiastes 2:15, Ecclesiastes 2:14-16, Romans 3:1, Genesis 17:1, Psalms 101:2, Psalms 116:9, Ecclesiastes 2:16, Ecclesiastes 5:11, Luke 1:6, 1 Timothy 6:17

9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

טֹוב מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם מֵהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃ (1956)

10That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר נִקְרָא שְׁמֹו וְנֹודָע אֲשֶׁר־הוּא אָדָם וְלֹא־יוּכַל לָדִין עִם [שֶׁהַתְקִיף כ] (שֶׁתַּקִּיף ק) מִמֶּנּוּ׃ (4326)

See also: Ecclesiastes 1:9, Ecclesiastes 3:15, Job 9:32, Isaiah 45:9-10, Job 16:21, Job 40:2, Genesis 3:17-19, Job 33:13, Jeremiah 49:19, Romans 9:19-20, 1 Corinthians 10:22, Job 9:3-4, Job 14:1-4, Psalms 39:6, Psalms 82:6-7, 2 Samuel 2:22, Psalms 103:15, Exodus 8:28

11Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

כִּי יֵשׁ־דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָבֶל מַה־יֹּתֵר לָאָדָם׃ (1867)

See also: Luke 10:41, Psalms 39:6, Ecclesiastes 4:16, Ecclesiastes 1:2, Ecclesiastes 5:7, Ecclesiastes 11:8, Romans 3:1, 1 Corinthians 15:19, Job 7:16, Psalms 73:6, Ecclesiastes 1:6-9, Ecclesiastes 1:17-18, Ecclesiastes 2:3-11, Ecclesiastes 3:19, Ecclesiastes 4:1-4, Ecclesiastes 4:8, Hosea 12:1, Ecclesiastes 4:4

12For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

כִּי מִי־יֹודֵעַ מַה־טֹּוב לָאָדָם בַּחַיִּים מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיֵּי הֶבְלֹו וְיַעֲשֵׂם כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר מִי־יַגִּיד לָאָדָם מַה־יִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ (3860)