| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. | 1The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: |
| 2Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. | 2"Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!" |
| 3What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? | 3What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth? |
| 4A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. | 4A generation comes and a generation goes, but the earth remains the same through the ages. |
| 5The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. | 5The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again. |
| 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. | 6The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. |
| 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 streams flow into the sea, but the sea is not full, and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again. |
| 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 this monotony is tiresome; no one can bear to describe it: The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing. |
| 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. | 9What exists now is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing truly new on earth. |
| 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 about which someone can say, "Look at this! It is new!"? It was already done long ago, before our time. |
| 11There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. | 11No one remembers the former events, nor will anyone remember the events that are yet to happen; they will not be remembered by the future generations. |
| 12I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. | 12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 13I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied. |
| 14I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. | 14I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile--like chasing the wind! |
| 15What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. | 15What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied. |
| 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 thought to myself, "I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge." |
| 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. | 17So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind! |
| 18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. | 18For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache. |
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