Translation
but if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in all of them, and yet let him remember that there will be many days of darkness.
Go to footnote numberEverything that is to come is like a vapor.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
but if a man lives many years, he should rejoice in each of them, yet he should also realize that, as he heads into old age, there will be many dark days prior to the darkest day of all, the day of his death. In fact, for anyone that is close to old age, everything ahead of him is like a vapor.
Footnotes
1
The idea of darkness is used elsewhere in Scripture as a word picture for death. Here it is being used of death and the last number of years leading up to death.
2
Old age is like a vapor for the following reasons: A: it Accomplishes nothing, S: it is not special, E: it is Not Easily understood, and is Endlessly frustrating.