New King James Version NKJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
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There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon men:
2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
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a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them; this is vanity; it is a sore affliction.
3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he--
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If a man begets a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but he does not enjoy life's good things, and also has no burial, I say that an untimely birth is better off than he.
4 for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
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For it comes into vanity and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered;
5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man,
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moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he.
6 even if he lives a thousand years twice--but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?
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Even though he should live a thousand years twice told, yet enjoy no good--do not all go to the one place?
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied.
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All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.
8 For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, Who knows how to walk before the living?
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For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
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Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
10 Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
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Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he.
11 Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better?
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The more words, the more vanity, and what is man the better?
12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?
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For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.