[1] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy
upon men: [2] a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so
that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him
power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them; this is vanity; it is a
sore affliction. [3] If a man begets a hundred children, and lives many
years, so that the days of his years are many, but he does not enjoy life's
good things, and also has no burial, I say that an untimely birth is better
off than he. [4] For it comes into vanity and goes into darkness, and in
darkness its name is covered; [5] moreover it has not seen the sun or known
anything; yet it finds rest rather than he. [6] Even though he should live
a thousand years twice told, yet enjoy no good--do not all go to the one
place? [7] All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not
satisfied. [8] For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what
does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living?
[9] Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also
is vanity and a striving after wind. [10] Whatever has come to be has
already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to
dispute with one stronger than he. [11] The more words, the more vanity,
and what is man the better? [12] For who knows what is good for man while
he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For
who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?