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

Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 6


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NEW AMERICAN BIBLECATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 There is another evil which I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon man:1 There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and, indeed, it is frequent among men.
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 It is a man to whom God has given wealth, and resources, and honor; and out of all that he desires, nothing is lacking to his life; yet God does not grant him the ability to consume these things, but instead a man who is a stranger will devour them. This is emptiness and a great misfortune.
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 If a man were to produce one hundred children, and to live for many years, and to attain to an age of many days, and if his soul were to make no use of the goods of his resources, and if he were lacking even a burial: concerning such a man, I declare that a miscarried child is better than he.
4 Though it came in vain and goes into darkness and its name is enveloped in darkness;4 For he arrives without a purpose and he continues on into darkness, and his name shall be wiped away, into oblivion.
5 though it has not seen or known the sun, yet the dead child is at rest rather than such a man.5 He has not seen the sun, nor recognized the difference between good and evil.
6 Should he live twice a thousand years and not enjoy his goods, do not both go to the same place?6 Even if he were to live for two thousand years, and yet not thoroughly enjoy what is good, does not each one hurry on to the same place?
7 All man's toil is for his mouth, yet his desire is not fulfilled.7 Every labor of man is for his mouth, but his soul will not be filled.
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 do the wise have which is more than the foolish? And what does the pauper have, except to continue on to that place, where there is life?
9 "What the eyes see is better than what the desires wander after." This also is vanity and a chase after wind.9 It is better to see what you desire, than to desire what you cannot know. But this, too, is emptiness and a presumption of spirit.
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 Whoever shall be in the future, his name has already been called. And it is known that he is a man and that he is not able to contend in judgment against one who is stronger than himself.
11 For though there are many sayings that multiply vanity, what profit is there for a man?11 There are many words, and many of these, in disputes, hold much emptiness.
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?