| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: | 1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men-- |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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, |
| 4For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. | 4for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. |
| 5Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. | 5"It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. |
| 6Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place? | 6"Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things-- do not all go to one place?" |
| 7All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. | 7All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. |
| 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? | 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? |
| 9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. | 9What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 11The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? | 11For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? |
| 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? | 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? |
| 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. | 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 |
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