Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6

1The vanity and misery of riches to one that wanteth an heart to use them; 3to whom, although he hath many children and long life, an untimely birth is preferable. 7The vanity of insatiable desires. 10From the past, which is known, the vanity of man is seen; the future is unknown.

1THERE is ^aan evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

a ch. 5.13. 1Ki. 10.27.

2A ^bman to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: ^cthis is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

b Job 21.10. Ps. 17.14; 73.7. ch. 5.19. Lu. 12.20. La. 5.2. Ho. 7.9. c ch. 1.2,14; 2.21-23; 4.4.

3¶^dIf a man beget an hundred children , and live many years, so that ^ethe days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and ^falso that he have no burial; I say, that ^gan untimely birth is better than he.

d 2Ch. 11.21. 2Ki. 10.1. e ch. 5.17. v.4-7. f 2Ki. 9.35-37. Is. 14.19,20. Je. 22.19; 36.30. g Job 3.16. Ps. 58.8. ch. 4.3.

4For he ^hcometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

h Job 1.21; 14.1. 1Ti. 6.7. Ps. 9.6; 90.7,9. Pr. 10.7. Is. 65.15.

5Moreover ⁱhe hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing : this hath more rest than the other.

i Ps. 58.8.

6¶Yea, ^jthough he live a thousand years twice told , yet ^khath he seen no good: ^ldo not all go to one place?

j Ge. 5; 11. k v.3. Job 18; 20. Is. 65.20. l Job 30.23; 1.21. He. 9.27. ch. 12.7. Ge. 3.19.

7^mAll the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the ¹appetite is not filled.

m Pr. 16.26. 1Ti. 6.6-8. Jn. 6.27. ch. 5.10; 4.8.

8ⁿFor what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that ^oknoweth to walk before the living?

n ch. 5.11; 2.14-16; 9.2. o Ps. 101.2. Ep. 5.15.

9¶^pBetter is the sight of the eyes ²than the wandering of the desire: ^qthis is also vanity and ^*vexation of spirit.

p ch. 2.24; 3.12,13; 5.18; 8.15; 9.7. 1Ti. 6.6-8. q v.2. ch. 1.14; 2.11,17; 4.4.

10^rThat which hath been is named already, and it is known ^sthat it is man: ^tneither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

r ch. 1.9; 3.15. s Job 14.1,4. Ps. 103.15; 9.20; 82.6,7. Is. 31.3. t Job 9.3,4,32; 40.2. Is. 45.9,10. ch. 5.8. Ro. 9.19,20. Je. 49.19.

11¶Seeing there ^ube many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

u Ps. 73.6. ch. 1.13; 2.1,3-12; 3.1; 4.1,4,5,8,13; 5.1,8,10. v.2,6,9.

12For ^vwho knoweth what is good for man in this life, ³all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as ^wa shadow? ^xfor who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

v Ps. 47.4. ch. 2.24. Jn. 6.27. w Ps. 144.4; 102.11; 109.23. Ja. 4.14. ch. 8.13. Job 14.2. x Job 14.21. Is. 63.16. ch. 3.22; 8.7; 9.12.