The Futility of Life

1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men–2 a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction.3 If a man fathers a hundred {children} and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a {proper} burial, {then} I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,4 for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.5 “It never sees the sun and it never knows {anything;} it is better off than he.6 “Even if the {other} man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things–do not all go to one place?

7 All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.8 For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What {advantage} does the poor man have, knowing {how} to walk before the living?9 What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.

10 Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.11 For there are many words which increase futility. What {then} is the advantage to a man?12 For who knows what is good for a man during {his} lifetime, {during} the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?