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Ecclesiastes 6 :: New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB95)

The Futility of Life

Ecc 6:1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent [fn]among men
Ecc 6:2a 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 [fn]enjoys them. This is [fn]vanity and a severe affliction.
Ecc 6:3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many [fn]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,
Ecc 6:4for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.
Ecc 6:5“It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; [fn]it is better off than he.
Ecc 6:6“Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not [fn]enjoy good things—do not all go to one place?”
Ecc 6:7All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the [fn]appetite is not [fn]satisfied.
Ecc 6:8For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?
Ecc 6:9What the eyes see is better than what the soul [fn]desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.
Ecc 6:10Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.
Ecc 6:11For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?
Ecc 6:12For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few [fn]years of his futile life? He will [fn]spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
NASB95 Footnotes
Literally: upon
Literally: eats from them
Or, futility
Literally: the days of his years
Literally: more rest has this one than that
Literally: see
Literally: soul
Literally: filled
Literally: goes after
Literally: days
Literally: do
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New American Standard Bible 1995
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Ecclesiastes Chapter 6 — Additional Translations: