Which Bible translation is shown on Ecclesiastes 6?

This page reproduces the public-domain World English Bible Protestant edition.

How should I cite a verse in Ecclesiastes 6?

Use the book, chapter, and verse, and name the World English Bible when the wording matters.

Ecclesiastes 6 (WEB) — Full Text

Old Testament

Ecclesiastes 6

1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:

2a 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.

3If 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;

4for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

5Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.

6Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?

7All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

8For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

10Whatever 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.

11For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

12For 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?

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

A searching reflection on mortality, work, pleasure, wisdom, and life as God's gift. Read Ecclesiastes 6 within the complete Ecclesiastes overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Ecclesiastes 6

Ecclesiastes 6 contains 12 verses and about 290 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 12 closes: “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?” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include vanity, years, good, evil, seen, under. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Ecclesiastes 6

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Ecclesiastes 6:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.