1 ^rThere is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives ^swealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, ^tbut a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;¹ it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is ^unot satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a ^vstillborn child is ^wbetter off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not ^xseen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy² no good—^ydo not all go to the one place?

7 ^zAll the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.³ 8 For ^awhat advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the ^bsight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a ^cstriving after wind.

10 ^dWhatever 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. 11 ^eThe more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the ^ffew days of his ^gvain⁴ life, which he passes ^hlike a shadow? For ⁱwho can tell man what will be after him under the sun?