Ecclesiastes 1
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Preceding Generations Forgotten

(Job 11:1-20)

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1The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.1The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem."
2"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."2Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.2"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.2Absolute futility," says the Teacher." Absolute futility. Everything is futile."
3What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?3What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?3What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?3What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?3What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?
4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.4A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.4A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.4A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
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5The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.5The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.5Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again.5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.5The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it returns to its place where it rises.
6The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.6The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.6Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.6The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.6Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.
7All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.7All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.7All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.7All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.7All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full. The streams are flowing to the place, and they flow there again.
8All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.8All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.8All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.8All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.8All things are wearisome; man is unable to speak. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.
9What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.9That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.9The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
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10Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.10Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us.10Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new "? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us.10Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.10Can one say about anything," Look, this is new"? It has already existed in the ages before us.
11No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.11There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.11There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.11There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.11There is no remembrance of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them.

With Wisdom Comes Sorrow

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12I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.12I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.12I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!13And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.13And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.13And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.13I applied my mind to seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.
14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.14I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.14I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
15What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.15What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.15What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.15That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.15What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
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16I said to myself, "Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge."16I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”16I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.16I said to myself, "Look, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge."
17Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.17And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.17And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.17I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.
18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.18Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.18For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.18For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.



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