8 If you see the extortion of the poor

and the perversion of justice and righteousness in the provinces,

don’t be amazed about it because a high official is watching over another official,

and higher ones are watching over them.

9 Land is an advantage for everyone—the king gets served from the countryside.

10 A person who loves money won’t be satisfied with it,

and anyone who loves wealth won’t be satisfied with their income.

That’s also pointless.

11 When material goods increase, people’s consumption increases,

and what advantage does the owner get other than just feeding his eyes?

12 The labourer has a pleasant sleep, whether they’ve had a lot to eat or just a little,

^ but the many investments of the rich person don’t permit them to sleep.

13 There’s a sad contradiction that I’ve seen in this world:

wealth hoarded up by its owner, but working to destroy him.

14 Then that wealth was lost in a failed investment

and although he had a son, he had nothing left to live on.

15 He was naked when he was born and he’ll be naked when he goes again,

and despite all his hard work, he won’t be able to take any money with him.[ref]

16 This is also a sickening misfortune:

He will leave this world just like he entered it,

and what profit belongs to him who will work hard for the wind?

17 What’s more, all his life he’ll eat in darkness,

and in a lot of distress, as well as sickness and anger.

18 Listen, this is what I myself have discovered to be good:

It’s good for a person to eat and drink

and to see benefit in all the hard work that they’ll do in this world

during the number of the days of their life that God has given that person,

because that’s their allocation in life.

19 Also, each person who’s been given wealth and possessions by God and has been empowered

to eat from it

and to accept their allocation in life

and to enjoy their hard work:

that’s a gift from God.

20 Those people don’t retain a memory of each day that passed

because God keeps them full of internal happiness.

6 There’s a problem in this world

and it troubles people:

2 God gives wealth and possessions and prestige to someone,

and that person has access to everything they want,

but God doesn’t allow them to enjoy it—

instead a foreigner will get to enjoy it.

That’s totally pointless, and it’s senseless and unfair.

3 If a man should father a hundred children

and live many years however long his life might be,

but he’s not satisfied in himself by his prosperity

and he doesn’t have anywhere to be buried,

then I’d say that a stillborn child would have been better off than him,

4 because that child came for no reason

and it went in darkness, and its name will be covered in darkness.

5 It didn’t even see the sun or know about it.

It’ll rest easier than that man will.

6 Even if that man lived a thousand years twice over,

but never saw good in anything,

aren’t they both going to the same place?

7 All of humanity’s work is for their mouth,

but the inner cravings are never fulfilled.

8 So what advantage does a wise person have over a fool?

What advantage does a poor person’s knowledge give them over others?

9 It’s better to enjoy what’s right there than to feed the imagination.

That’s also pointless and chasing after the wind.

10 Everything that existed has already been named.

It’s known what humankind is

and that humans can’t dispute with the one who’s stronger than them.

11 Yes, many words just become more pointless.

What advantage is that to anyone?

12 Who knows what’s good for a person

for those pointless days that he/she lives?

The days pass by like a shadow

but who can tell anyone what will happen to them next in this world?