1There is a ra'ah which I have seen under the shemesh, and it is a great weight upon the adam;

2An ish to whom HaElohim hath given osher (riches), nekhasim (possessions), and kavod (honor), so that he wanteth nothing for his nefesh of all that he desireth, yet HaElohim giveth him not shlitah (empowerment) to have enjoyment thereof, but an ish nochri (stranger) hath the enjoyment thereof; this is hevel, and it is a grievous ill.

3If an ish beget a hundredfold, and live shanim rabbot, so that rav be the yamim of his shanim, and his nefesh be not filled with hatovah, and also that he have no kevurah (grave); I say, that a nefel (stillborn) is better than he.

4For he cometh in with hevel, and departeth in choshech, and shmo shall be shrouded with choshech.

5Moreover though he hath not seen the shemesh, nor known any thing, this hath more nakhat (rest, quietness) than the other.

6Yea, though he live an elef shanim twice over, yet hath he seen no tovah. Do not all go to mekom echad?

7All the amal (labor) of haAdam is for his mouth, and yet the nefesh is not satisfied.

8For what hath the chacham more than the kesil? What hath the poor man, who has da'as of how to conduct himself before the living?

9Better what the eynayim see than the roving of the nefesh; this also is hevel and chasing after ruach.

10That which is, its shem hath already been named, and it is known what adam shall be; neither may he contend with what is stronger than he.

11Seeing there be many things that increase hevel, what profit is there for adam?

12For who has da'as what is tov for adam in this life, all the few days of his chayyei hevel which he spendeth as a shadow? For who can tell adam what shall be after him under the shemesh?