1 T here is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it great on man:

There is another bad thing which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard for men:

2 A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this vanity, and it an evil disease.

God gives a man riches and many good things and honor, so that he has everything he wants. But He does not allow him to have joy from them, for a stranger has joy from them. This is for nothing, and is very bad.

3 I f a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, `Better than he the untimely birth.'

If a man becomes the father of a hundred children and lives many years until he is very old, but he is not happy with good things, and is not buried as he should be, then I say that the child who dies before it is born is shown more favor than he.

4 F or in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,

For this child comes for nothing and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered.

5 E ven the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.

It never sees the sun and it never knows anything. It is better off than he.

6 A nd though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not find joy in good things, do not all go to the same place?

7 A ll the labour of man for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.

All a man’s work is for his mouth, and yet his hunger is not filled.

8 F or what advantage to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

For what is better for the wise man than for the fool? And what good does the poor man have who knows how to walk among the living?

9 B etter the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also vanity and vexation of spirit.

What the eyes see is better than what there is a desire for. This also is for nothing, like trying to catch the wind.

10 W hat that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

Whatever has come to be has already been given a name. It is known what man is, and that he cannot argue with one who is stronger than he.

11 F or there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage to man?

The more words there are, the more they are worth nothing. What good is that to anyone?

12 F or who knoweth what good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?

For who knows what is good for a man during his life, during the few years of his living for nothing? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will happen after he is gone under the sun?