6There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity.H3426H7451H7200H8121H7227H1202God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.H376H430H5414H6239H5233H3519H2638H5315H183H430H7980H398H376H5237H398H1892H7451H24833A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead.H376H3205H3967H2421H7227H8141H3117H8141H7227H5315H7646H2896H6900H559H5309H28964His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name,H935H1892H3212H2822H8034H3680H28225and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man.H7200H8121H3045H2088H5183H20886He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?H432H2421H505H8141H6471H7200H2896H1980H259H47257All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough.H5999H120H6310H5315H43908So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?H2450H3148H3684H6041H3045H1980H24169Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.H2896H4758H5869H1980H5315H1892H7469H7307
The Future—Determined and Unknown
10Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.H7121H8034H3528H3045H120H3201H1777H862311The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?H3426H7235H1697H7235H1892H120H314812In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?H3045H2896H120H2416H4557H3117H1892H2416H6213H6738H5046H120H310H8121
