Ecclesiastes 6 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 6 (WEBP)

[1] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:
[2] a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
[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 not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he;
[4] for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
[5] Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
[6] Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?
[7] All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
[8] For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
[9] Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
[10] Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.
[11] For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
[12] For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Ecclesiastes 6 (KJVS)

[1] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
[2] a man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
[3] If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
[4] For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
[5] Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
[6] Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
[7] All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
[8] For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
[9] Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
[10] That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
[11] Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
[12] For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 6:7 Heb. soul
Ecclesiastes 6:12 Heb. the number of the days of the life of his vanity

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Ecclesiastes 6 (BYZ)

[1] Ἔστιν () πονηρία, () ἣν () εἶδον () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον, () καὶ () πολλή () ἐστιν () ἐπὶ () τὸν () ἄνθρωπον· ()
[2] ἀνήρ, () ᾧ () δώσει () αὐτῷ () ὁ () θεὸς () πλοῦτον () καὶ () ὑπάρχοντα () καὶ () δόξαν, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () ὑστερῶν () τῇ () ψυχῇ () αὐτοῦ () ἀπὸ () πάντων, () ὧν () ἐπιθυμήσει, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἐξουσιάσει () αὐτῷ () ὁ () θεὸς () τοῦ () φαγεῖν () ἀπ’ () αὐτοῦ, () ὅτι () ἀνὴρ () ξένος () φάγεται () αὐτόν· () τοῦτο () ματαιότης () καὶ () ἀρρωστία πονηρά () ἐστιν. ()
[3] Ἐὰν () γεννήσῃ () ἀνὴρ () ἑκατὸν () καὶ () ἔτη () πολλὰ () ζήσεται, () καὶ () πλῆθος () ὅ () τι () ἔσονται () ἡμέραι () ἐτῶν () αὐτοῦ, () καὶ () ψυχὴ () αὐτοῦ () οὐκ () ἐμπλησθήσεται () ἀπὸ () τῆς () ἀγαθωσύνης, () καί () γε () ταφὴ () οὐκ () ἐγένετο () αὐτῷ, () εἶπα () Ἀγαθὸν () ὑπὲρ () αὐτὸν () τὸ () ἔκτρωμα, ()
[4] ὅτι () ἐν () ματαιότητι () ἦλθεν () καὶ () ἐν () σκότει () πορεύεται, () καὶ () ἐν () σκότει () ὄνομα () αὐτοῦ () καλυφθήσεται, ()
[5] καί () γε () ἥλιον () οὐκ () εἶδεν () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔγνω, () ἀνάπαυσις () τούτῳ () ὑπὲρ () τοῦτον. ()
[6] Καὶ () εἰ () ἔζησεν () χιλίων () ἐτῶν () καθόδους καὶ () ἀγαθωσύνην () οὐκ () εἶδεν, () μὴ () οὐκ () εἰς () τόπον () ἕνα () τὰ () πάντα () πορεύεται; ()
[7] Πᾶς () μόχθος () τοῦ () ἀνθρώπου () εἰς () στόμα () αὐτοῦ, () καί () γε () ἡ () ψυχὴ () οὐ () πληρωθήσεται. ()
[8] Ὅτι () τίς () περισσεία () τῷ () σοφῷ () ὑπὲρ () τὸν () ἄφρονα; () Διότι () ὁ () πένης () οἶδεν () πορευθῆναι () κατέναντι () τῆς () ζωῆς. ()
[9] Ἀγαθὸν () ὅραμα () ὀφθαλμῶν () ὑπὲρ () πορευόμενον () ψυχῇ. () Καί () γε () τοῦτο () ματαιότης () καὶ () προαίρεσις πνεύματος. ()
[10] Εἴ () τι () ἐγένετο, () ἤδη () κέκληται () ὄνομα () αὐτοῦ, () καὶ () ἐγνώσθη () ὅ () ἐστιν () ἄνθρωπος, () καὶ () οὐ () δυνήσεται () τοῦ () κριθῆναι () μετὰ () τοῦ () ἰσχυροῦ () ὑπὲρ () αὐτόν· ()
[11] ὅτι () εἰσὶν () λόγοι () πολλοὶ () πληθύνοντες () ματαιότητα. () Τί () περισσὸν () τῷ () ἀνθρώπῳ; ()
[12] Ὅτι () τίς () οἶδεν () τί () ἀγαθὸν () τῷ () ἀνθρώπῳ () ἐν () τῇ () ζωῇ () ἀριθμὸν () ἡμερῶν () ζωῆς () ματαιότητος () αὐτοῦ; () Καὶ () ἐποίησεν () αὐτὰς () ἐν () σκιᾷ· () ὅτι () τίς () ἀπαγγελεῖ () τῷ () ἀνθρώπῳ () τί () ἔσται () ὀπίσω () αὐτοῦ () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον; ()

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, LLC, Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.