Ecclesiastes 6
Expanded Bible
6 I have ·seen [observed] something else ·wrong [evil] ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3] that ·causes serious problems for [is frequent among] people. 2 God gives great wealth, ·riches [possessions], and honor to some people; they ·have everything [L lack nothing] they want. But God does not let them ·enjoy such things [L eat of it]; a stranger ·enjoys them instead [L eats of it]. This is useless [1:2] and ·very wrong [a sickening evil]. 3 A man might have a hundred children and live ·a long time [L many years], but what good is it if he ·can’t enjoy the good God gives him [L is not satisfied with the good things he has] or have a proper burial? I say a ·baby born dead [stillborn] is better off than he is. 4 A ·baby born dead [stillborn] is useless [1:2]. ·It returns to darkness without even a name [L Its name is shrouded/obscured in darkness]. 5 That baby never saw the sun and never knew ·anything [or the sun], but it finds more rest than that man. 6 Even if he lives ·two thousand years [L a thousand years two times over], he doesn’t ·enjoy the good God gives him [L experience good times]. ·Everyone is going [L Do not all go…?] to the same place [C the grave].
7 ·People work just to feed themselves [L All toil of humans is for their mouths],
but ·they never seem to get enough to eat [L their appetite is never filled; Prov. 16:26].
8 In this way ·a wise person
is no better off than [L what advantage/profit is there for a wise person over…?] a fool.
·Then, too, it does a poor person little good
to know how to get along in life [What do the poor have by knowing how to act in front of the living?].
9 ·It is better to see what you have
than to want more [L The sight of the eyes is better than wandering desire].
·Wanting more [L This also] is useless [1:2]—
like chasing the wind.
Who Can Understand God’s Plan?
10 Whatever happens was ·planned long ago [L already called by name].
Everyone knows what people are like.
No one can argue with ·God,
who [L one who] is stronger than anyone.
11 ·The more you say,
the more useless it is [There are many words that increase meaninglessness; 1:2].
What good does it do?
12 People have only a few useless [1:2] days of life on the earth; their ·short life [L few days] passes like a shadow [1 Chr. 29:15; Ps. 144:4; Job 8:9; 14:12]. Who knows what is ·best [good] for them while they live? Who can tell them what ·the future will bring [L will happen after them]?
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