| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common 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 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. | 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 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— | 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 vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. | 4For a stillborn child enters in futility and departs in darkness, and his name is shrouded in obscurity. |
| 5Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, | 5The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man, |
| 6even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. 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 the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied. | 7All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never 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? | 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? |
| 9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. | 9Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the 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 was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he. |
| 11Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better? | 11For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone? |
| 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 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? |
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