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

There is another evil I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon mankind:

A 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.

God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction.

If 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.

A man may father a hundred children and live for many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he is unsatisfied with his prosperity and does not even receive a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

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

For a stillborn child enters in futility and departs in darkness, and his name is shrouded in obscurity.

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

The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man,

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

even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?

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

All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.

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

What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?

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

Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

That 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.

Whatever exists was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.

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

For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?

For 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?

For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?