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The Futility of Life

¹ There is an ^(C1)evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread ^(F1)among mankind:² a person to whom God has ^(C1)given riches, wealth, and honor, so that his soul ^(C2)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the opportunity to ^(F1)enjoy these things, but a foreigner ^(F2)enjoys them. This is futility and a severe affliction.³ If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many ^(F1)they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper ^(C1)burial, then I say, "Better ^(C2)the miscarriage than he,⁴ for a miscarriage comes in futility and goes into darkness; and its name is covered in darkness.⁵ "It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet ^(F1)it is better off than that man.⁶ "Even if the man lives a thousand years twice, but does not see good things—^(C1)do not all go to one and the same place?"

^7 (C1)All a person's labor is for his mouth, and yet ^(F1)his appetite is not ^(F2)satisfied.⁸ For ^(C1)what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living?⁹ What the eyes ^(C1)see is better than what the soul ^(F1)desires. This too is ^(C2)futility and striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever ^(C1)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he ^(C2)cannot dispute with the ^(F1)one who is mightier than he is.¹¹ For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a person?¹² For who knows what is good for a person during his lifetime, during the few ^(F1)years of his futile life? He will ^(F2)spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a person ^(C1)what will happen after him under the sun?