| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: | 1There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on 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. | 2a 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 grievous evil. |
| 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, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no 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 it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. |
| 5Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, | 5Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. |
| 6even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place? | 6Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place? |
| 7All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied. | 7All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his 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 has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? |
| 9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. | 9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity 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 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. |
| 11Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better? | 11The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to 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 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? |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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