There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:
a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;
moreover it hath not seen the sun {Or, neither had any knowledge}nor known it; {Or, it is better with this than with the other}this hath rest rather than the other:
yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place?
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? {Or, or the poor man that hath understanding, in walking before the living}or what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
{Or, Whatsoever he be, his name was given him long ago, and it is known that he is man}Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is known what {Hebrew: Adam. See Genesis 2:7.}man is; neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.
Seeing there are many {Or, words}things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, {Hebrew: the number of days.}all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
Querverweise zu Prediger 6,7 Pred 6,7
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in {Or, sorrow}toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
The appetite of the laboring man laboreth for him;For his mouth urgeth him thereto.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?
And I will say to my {Or, life}soul, {Or, life}Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.
Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed.
But godliness with contentment is great gain:
for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out;
but having food and covering {Or, in these we shall have enough}we shall be therewith content.