NASB — Ecclesiastes 6 — KJV

The Futility of Life

1 There° is an aevil° which° I have seen° under° the sun° and it is prevalent° Iamong° men°2 a man° to whom° God° has agiven° riches° and wealth° and honor° so that his soul° blacks° nothing° of all° that he desires°; yet God° has not empowered° him to eat° from them, for a foreigner° Ienjoys° them. This° is IIvanity° and a severe° affliction°. 3 If° a man° fathers° a hundred° [children] and lives° many° years°, however many° Ithey be, but his soul° is not satisfied° with good° things° and he does not even° have° a [proper] aburial°, [then] I say°, “Better° bthe 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]; Iit is better° off than° he. 6 Even if° the [other] man lives° a thousand° years° twice° and does not Ienjoy°° good° things°ado not all° go° to one° place°?”

[1] ILit upon aEc 5:13
[2] ILit eats from them IIOr futility a1K 3:13 bPs 17:14; 73:7; Ec 2:10
[3] ILit the days of his years aIs 14:20; Jr 8:2; 22:19 bJb 3:16; Ec 4:3
[5] ILit more rest has this one than that
[6] ILit see aEc 2:14

7aAll° a man’s° labor° is for his mouth° and yet° the Iappetite° is not IIsatisfied°. 8 For awhat° 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° asee° is better° than° what the soul° Idesires°. This° too° is bfutility° and a striving° after wind°.

[7] ILit soul IILit filled aPv 16:26
[8] aEc 2:15
[9] ILit goes after aEc 11:9 bEc 1:14

10 ¶ Whatever°° aexists° has already° been named°°, and it is known° what° man° is; for he bcannot°° 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° Iyears° of his futile° life°? He will IIspend° them like a shadow°. For who° can tell° a man° awhat° will be after° him under° the sun°?

[10] aEc 1:9; 3:15 bJb 9:32; 40:2; Pv 21:30; Is 45:9
[12] ILit days IILit do aEc 3:22


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The vanity of riches without use.

1 ¶ There isº an evilº which² I have seenºª under² the sun,º and it² [is] commonº among² men:º 2 A manº to whom² Godº hath givenºª riches,º wealth,º and honour,º so that he wantethº nothing² for his soulº of all²² that² he desireth,ºª yet Godº giveth him not powerºª² to eatºª thereof,² but² a strangerºº eatethºª it: this² [is] vanity,º and it² [is] an evilº disease.º

[1] Ec 5:13.
[2] Dt 8:7; 28:33, 43; Jg 18:10; 1K 3:13; 1Ch 29:25, 28; 2Ch 1:11; Jb 21:9; Ps 17:14; 39:6; 73:7; Ec 2:4; 4:4, 8; 5:16, 19; Lm 5:2; Dn 5:18; Ho 7:9; Lk 12:19.

Of children,

3 ¶ If² a manº begetºª an hundredº [children], and liveºª manyº years,º so that the daysº of his yearsº be²² many,º and his soulº be not² filledºª with² good,º and also² [that] he have² no² burial;º I say,ºª [that] an untimely birthº [is] betterº than² he. 4 For² he comethºª in with vanity,º and departeth¹ª² in darkness,º and his nameº shall be coveredºª with darkness.º 5 Moreover² he hath not² seenºª the sun,º nor² knownºª [any thing]: thisº hath more restº than¹ the other.²²

[3] Gn 33:5; 47:9; 1S 2:20; 2K 9:35; 10:1; 1Ch 28:5; 2Ch 11:21; Es 5:11; 7:10; 9:14; Jb 3:16; Ps 58:8; 127:4; Pv 17:6; Ec 4:3; 5:17; Is 14:19; Jr 22:19; 36:30; Mt 26:24.
[4] Ps 109:13.
[5] Jb 3:10; 14:1; Ps 58:8; 90:7.

and old age without riches.

6 ¶ Yea,² though¹ he liveºª a thousandº yearsº twiceº [told], yet hath he seenºª no² good:º do not² all² goºª to² oneº place?º 7 All² the labourº of manº [is] for his mouth,º and yet² the appetiteº is not² filled.ºª 8 For² what² hath the wiseº moreº than² the fool?º what² hath the poor,º that knowethºª to walkºª before² the living?º

[6] Gn 5:5, 23; Jb 1:21; 7:7; 30:23; Ps 4:6; 34:12; Ec 3:20; 6:3; 12:7; Is 65:20, 22; Jr 17:6; He 9:27.
[7] Gn 3:17; Pv 16:26; Ec 5:10; 6:3; Mt 6:25; Lk 12:19; Jn 6:27; 1Ti 6:6.
[8] Gn 17:1; Ps 101:2; 116:9; Pv 19:1; Ec 2:14; 5:11; Lk 1:6; 1Ti 6:17.

The vanity of sight and wandering desires.

9 ¶ Betterº [is] the sightº of the eyesº than the wanderingºª² of the desire:º this² [is] also² vanityº and vexationº of spirit.º 10 That² which hath been²² is namedººª already,º and it is knownºª that² it² [is] man:º neither² mayºª he contendºª with² him that is mightierº² than² he.

[9] Jb 31:7; Pv 30:15; Ec 1:2, 14; 2:11, 22, 24; 3:12; 4:4; 5:18; 6:2; Jr 2:20.
[10] Gn 3:9, 17; Jb 9:3, 32; 14:1; 33:13; 40:2; Ps 39:6; 82:6; 103:15; Ec 1:9; 3:15; Is 45:9; Jr 49:19; Ro 9:19.

The conclusion of vanities.

11 ¶ Seeing² there beº manyºª thingsº that increaseºª vanity,º what² [is] manº the better?º 12 For² who² knowethºª what² [is] goodº for manº in [this] life,º allº the daysº of his vainº lifeº which he spendethºª as a shadow?º for² who² can tellºª a manº what² shall be² afterº him under² the sun?º

[11] Ps 73:6; Ec 1:6, 17; 2:3; 3:19; 4:1, 8, 16; 5:7; Ho 12:1.
[12] 1Ch 29:15; Jb 8:9; 14:2, 21; Ps 4:6; 16:5; 17:15; 39:5; 47:4; 89:47; 90:10; 102:11; 109:23; 144:4; Ec 2:3; 3:22; 8:7, 13; 9:6; 12:13; Lm 3:24; Mi 6:8; Jm 4:14.


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