- I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men:
- God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.
- A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.
- It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded.
- Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man-
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- There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men--
- a 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.
- If 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,
- for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.
- "It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.
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