New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind:
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There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;
2 those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous ill.
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A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.
3 A man may beget a hundred children, and live many years; but however many are the days of his years, if he does not enjoy life's good things, or has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.
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If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.
4 For it comes into vanity and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered;
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In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered.
5 moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he.
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Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to one place?
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And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?
7 All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied.
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All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food.
8 For what advantage have the wise over fools? And what do the poor have who know how to conduct themselves before the living?
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What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
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What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what human beings are, and that they are not able to dispute with those who are stronger.
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That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.
11 The more words, the more vanity, so how is one the better?
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There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?
12 For who knows what is good for mortals while they live the few days of their vain life, which they pass like a shadow? For who can tell them what will be after them under the sun?
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Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.