Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is [exists, is present] another evil [bad, morally wrong] I have seen [observed, looked after] under [beneath, below] the sun [the sun; the east or the west], and it [this adversity] weighs heavily [is great, common] upon [on, above] mankind [humanity, the man, Adam]: word study 2 God [the Supreme Being, Elohim] gives a man [a person, an individual] riches [treasures], wealth [possessions, abundance], and honor [glory, high esteem], so that he lacks [is without, has no need of] nothing [no thing, any lack] his heart [soul, inner being] desires [longs for, wishes]; but God does not allow [give power to, permit] him to enjoy [eat, partake of] them. Instead [but, on the contrary], a stranger [foreigner, one not related] will enjoy [eat, devour] them. This [this situation, this circumstance] is futile [vanity, emptiness] and a grievous [evil, severe] affliction [sickness, disease]. word study 3 A man [a male person, individual] may father [beget, give birth to] a hundred children [offspring, descendants] and live [have life, exist] for many years [a long time, numerous years]; yet no matter how long he lives [exists, has life], if he is unsatisfied [not filled, unfulfilled] with his prosperity [good things, blessings] and does not even receive [have, get] a proper burial [a grave, a tomb], I say [declare, proclaim] that a stillborn child [an untimely birth, a miscarriage] is better off [more fortunate, in a better condition] than he [than this person, than him]. word study 4 For [because of this reason] a stillborn child [lifeless from birth, without vitality] enters [comes into existence, is born] in [a state of] futility [vanity, emptiness] and departs [goes out, dies] in [a state of] darkness [obscurity, spiritual gloom], and his name [identity, reputation, character] is shrouded [covered, hidden] in [a state of] obscurity [darkness, unknown]. word study 5 The child [born still, or never lived], though neither seeing [nor experiencing] the sun [the sun; the east or the west] nor knowing [perceiving, understanding] anything [the world, its ways], has more rest [quietness, peace] than that man [the one who toils, labors in vain], word study 6 even if he lives [for a very long time, two thousand years] a thousand years twice over [repeatedly, many times] but fails to enjoy [or experience, see good in] his prosperity [wealth, blessings]. Do not [is it not true that] all [every person, everything] go to the same place [one location, the grave]? word study 7 All [every, the entire] a man’s [the person, human being] labor [trouble, toil, hard work] is for his mouth [lips, the edge of something], yet [also, even] his appetite [soul, living being] is never [not, by no means] satisfied [filled, made complete]. word study 8 What [benefit] advantage, then, has the wise [skilled, prudent] man over the fool [stupid, silly]? What [profit] gain comes to the poor [afflicted, humble] man who knows [is aware, understands] how to conduct [walk, behave] himself before [in the presence of] others [the living, those who are alive]? word study 9 Better [more pleasing, of greater benefit] what the eye [the source of sight, the window to the soul] can see [perceive, observe] than the wandering [going, roaming] of desire [longing, craving, the soul’s deep yearning]. This too [also, even] is [characterized as] futile [empty, unsatisfying, vanity] and a pursuit [striving, chasing] of the wind [the invisible and unattainable]. word study 10 Whatever [that which hath been, all things] exists [has been] was named [given a name, designated] long ago [already, from the beginning], and what happens [is known, is foreknown] to a man [human, mortal] is foreknown [known, understood]; but he [mankind, humanity] cannot [is not able, has no power] contend [strive, argue] with one [him, anyone] stronger [mightier, more powerful] than he [him, himself]. word study 11 For [since, because] the more words [there are, increasing], the more futility [vanity, emptiness]—and how [in what way, what advantage] does that [such multiplication of words] profit [benefit, advantage] anyone [man, humanity]? word study 12 For who knows [is aware of] what [is beneficial, good] is good for a man [human, Adam] during the few [short, brief] days in which he passes through his fleeting [transitory, vain] life like [as, similar to] a shadow [dark area, shade]? Who [which person, no one] can tell a man [inform, declare to] what [will happen, shall be] will come after him [follow, occur later] under [beneath, in the realm of] the sun [shemesh, symbol of life]? word study