Ecclesiastes 1
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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.
2"Absolute futility," says the Teacher. "Absolute futility. Everything is futile."2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?3What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
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.
5The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it returns to the place where it rises.5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.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.
7All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place where the streams 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.
8All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or 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.
9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; 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.
10Can one say about anything, "Look, this is new"? It has already existed in the ages 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.
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.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.
12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.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.
14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.15That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16I said to myself, "See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped 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.
17I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.18For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Proverbs 31
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