Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
1 There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:
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There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind:
2 A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.
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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.
3 If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.
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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.
4 For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.
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For it comes into vanity and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered;
5 He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:
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moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he.
6 Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?
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Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to one place?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.
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All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied.
8 What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?
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For what advantage have the wise over fools? And what do the poor have who know how to conduct themselves before the living?
9 Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.
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Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
10 He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is a man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.
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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.
11 There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.
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The more words, the more vanity, so how is one the better?
12 (7-1) What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?
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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?
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.
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.