There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant with man:
Ἔστι πονηρία ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ πολλή ἐστιν ὑπὸ τὸν ἄνθρωπον·
The Old Testament
ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΗΣ · 6
12 Brenton verses
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant with man:
Ἔστι πονηρία ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ πολλή ἐστιν ὑπὸ τὸν ἄνθρωπον·
a man to whom God shall give wealth, and substance, and honour, and he wants nothing for his soul of all things that he shall desire, yet God shall not give him power to eat of it, for a stranger shall devour it: this is vanity, and an evil infirmity.
Ἀνὴρ ᾧ δώσει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς πλοῦτον καὶ ὑπαρχοντα καὶ δόξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστερῶν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πάντων ὧν ἐπιθυμήσει, καὶ οὐκ ἐξουσιάσει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ φαγεῖν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ξένος φάγεται αὐτόν· τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ ἀῤῥωστία πονηρά ἐστιν.
If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, yea, however abundant the days of his years shall be, yet if his soul shall not be satisfied with good, and also he have no burial; I said, An untimely birth is better than he.
Ἐὰν γεννήσῃ ἀνὴρ ἑκατόν, καὶ ἔτη πολλὰ ζήσεται, καὶ πλῆθος ὅ, τι ἔσονται αἱ ἡμέραι ἐτῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ οὐ πλησθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης, καί γε ταφὴ οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ, εἶπα, ἀγαθὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν τὸ ἔκτρωμα.
For he came in vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered in darkness.
Ὅτι ἐν ματαιότητι ἦλθε, καὶ ἐν σκότει πορεύεται, καὶ ἐν σκότει ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καλυφθήσεται·
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is no more rest to this one than another.
Καί γε ἥλιον οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω ἀναπαύσεις, τούτῳ ὑπὲρ τοῦτον·
Though he has lived to the return of a thousand years, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one place?
Καὶ ἔζησε χιλίων ἐτῶν καθόδους, καὶ ἀγαθωσύνην οὐκ εἶδε, μὴ οὐκ εἰς τόπον ἕνα πορεύεται τὰ πάντα;
All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied.
Πᾶς μόχθος ἀνθρώπου εἰς στόμα αὐτοῦ, καί γε ἡ ψυχὴ οὐ πληρωθήσεται.
For what advantage has the wise man over the fool, since even the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life?
Ὅτι περίσσεια τῷ σοφῷ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἄφρονα, διότι ὁ πένης οἶδε πορευθῆναι κατέναντι τῆς ζωῆς.
The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.
Ἀγαθὸν ὅραμα ὀφθαλμῶν ὑπερπορευόμενον ψυχῇ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is stronger than he.
Εἰ τι ἐγένετο, ἤδη κέκληται ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὅ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐ δυνήσεται κριθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ ἰσχυροτὲρου ὑπὲρ αὐτόν.
For there are many things which increase vanity.
Ὅτι εἰσι λόγοι πολλοὶ πληθύνοντες ματαιότητα.
What advantage has a man? for who knows what is good for a man in his life, during the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
Τί περισσὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ; ὅτι τίς οἶδεν ἀγαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ, ἀριθμὸν ζωῆς ἡμερῶν ματαιότητος αὐτοῦ; καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ ἐν σκιᾷ· ὅτι τίς ἀπαγγελεῖ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, τί ἔσται ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;
Brenton supplied wording, small capitals, translation notes, Greek wording, and edition-specific verse identifiers are retained. Parallel passages keep each edition's own references. Editions and sources.