| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Berean Study Bible |
| 1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men-- | 1There is another evil I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon mankind: |
| 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. | 2God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction. |
| 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, | 3A man may father a hundred children and live for many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he is unsatisfied with his prosperity and does not even receive a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. |
| 4for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. | 4For a stillborn child enters in futility and departs in darkness, and his name is shrouded in obscurity. |
| 5"It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. | 5The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man, |
| 6"Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things-- do not all go to one place?" | 6even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? |
| 7All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. | 7All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. |
| 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? | 8What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others? |
| 9What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. | 9Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. |
| 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. | 10Whatever exists was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he. |
| 11For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? | 11For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone? |
| 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? | 12For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun? |
| 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 | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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