Ecclesiastes 6 Comparison: Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version

Ecclesiastes 6

¹Also another yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne; and certis it is oft vsid anentis men.

²A man is, to whom God yaf richessis, and catel, and onour; and no thing failith to his soule of alle thingis which he desirith; and God yyueth not power to hym, that he ete therof, but a straunge man shal deuoure it. This is vanyte, and a greet wretchidnesse.

³If a man gendrith an hundrid fre sones, and lyueth many yeris, and hath many daies of age, and his soule vsith not the goodis of his catel, and wantith biriyng; Y pronounce of this man, that a deed borun child is betere than he.

⁴For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.

⁵He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;

⁶also thouy he lyueth twei thousynde yeeris, and vsith not goodis; whether alle thingis hasten not to o place?

⁷Al the trauel of a man is in his mouth, but the soule of hym schal not be fillid with goodis.

⁸What hath a wijs man more than a fool? and what hath a pore man, no but that he go thidur, where is lijf?

⁹It is betere to se that, that thou coueitist, than to desire that, that thou knowist not; but also this is vanyte, and presumpcioun of spirit.

¹⁰The name of hym that schal come, is clepid now, and it is knowun, that he is a man, and he mai not stryue in doom ayens a strongere than hym silf.

¹¹Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.

Ecclesiastes 6

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

²A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

³If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

⁴For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

⁵Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

⁶Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

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

⁸For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

⁹Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

¹⁰That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

¹¹Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

¹²For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?