| New King James Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: | 1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men-- |
| 2A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction. | 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 enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. |
| 3If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he— | 3If 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, |
| 4for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. | 4for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. |
| 5Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, | 5"It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. |
| 6even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place? | 6"Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things-- do not all go to one place?" |
| 7All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied. | 7All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. |
| 8For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, Who knows how to walk before the living? | 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? |
| 9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. | 9What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. |
| 10Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he. | 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. |
| 11Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better? | 11For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? |
| 12For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun? | 12For 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? |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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