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Lunedi, 29 aprile 2024 - Santa Caterina da Siena ( Letture di oggi)

Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 6


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NEW AMERICAN BIBLENEW JERUSALEM
1 There is another evil which I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon man:1 I see another evil under the sun, which goes hard with people:
2 there is the man to whom God gives riches and property and honor, so that he lacks none of all the things he craves; yet God does not grant him power to partake of them, but a stranger devours them. This is vanity and a dire plague.2 suppose someone has received from God riches, property, honours -- nothing at al left to wish for; butGod does not give the chance to enjoy them, and some stranger enjoys them. This is futile, and grievoussuffering too.
3 Should a man have a hundred children and live many years, no matter to what great age, still if he has not the full benefit of his goods, or if he is deprived of burial, of this man I proclaim that the child born dead is more fortunate than he.3 Or take someone who has had a hundred children and lived for many years, and, having reached oldage, has never enjoyed the good things of life and has not even got a tomb; it seems to me, a still-born child ishappier.
4 Though it came in vain and goes into darkness and its name is enveloped in darkness;4 In futility it came, into darkness it departs, and in darkness will its name be buried.
5 though it has not seen or known the sun, yet the dead child is at rest rather than such a man.5 It has never so much as seen or known the sun; al the same, it wil rest more easily than that person,
6 Should he live twice a thousand years and not enjoy his goods, do not both go to the same place?6 who would never have known the good things of life, even by living a thousand years twice over. Do wenot al go to the same place in the end?
7 All man's toil is for his mouth, yet his desire is not fulfilled.7 Al toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is never satisfied.
8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool, or what advantage has the poor man in knowing how to conduct himself in life?8 What advantage has the wise over the fool? And what of the pauper who knows how to behave insociety?
9 "What the eyes see is better than what the desires wander after." This also is vanity and a chase after wind.9 Better the object seen than the sting of desire: for the latter too is futile and chasing after the wind.
10 Whatever is, was long ago given its name, and the nature of man is known, and that he cannot contend in judgment with one who is stronger than he.10 What has been is already defined -- we know what people are: They cannot bring to justice one who isstronger than themselves.
11 For though there are many sayings that multiply vanity, what profit is there for a man?11 The more we say, the more futile it is: what good can we derive from it?
12 For who knows what is good for a man in life, the limited days of his vain life (which God has made like a shadow)? Because-who is there to tell a man what will come after him under the sun?12 And who knows what is best for someone during life, during the days of futile life which are spent like ashadow? Who can tel anyone what wil happen after him under the sun?