1There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon humanity:
2a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all that he craves, yet God does not give him power to eat from it, but a stranger eats it. This is vapor and a grievous affliction.
3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with the good, and he also has no burial — I say a stillborn child is better off than he.
4For it comes in vapor and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered over.
5Though it has neither seen the sun nor known anything, it has more rest than the other.
6Even if he lived a thousand years twice over, yet saw no good — do not all go to one place?
7All the toil of a person is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is never filled.
8For what advantage has the wise over the fool? What does the poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before the living?
9Better is what the eyes see than the wandering of desire. This too is vapor and a chasing after wind.
10Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what a human is; and he cannot contend with one stronger than he.
11Since there are many words that multiply vapor, what advantage is there for a person?
12For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the number of the days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell a person what will come after him under the sun?
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