Ecclesiastes 1 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 1 ▼
swipe to see more →
ISV
Intl. Standard Version
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 |Utterly pointless,| says the Teacher. |Absolutely pointless; everything is pointless.| Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
3 What does a man gain from all of the work that he undertakes on earth? What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?
4 A generation goes, a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises, the sun sets, then rushes back to where it arose. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
6 The wind blows southward, then northward, constantly circulating, and the wind comes back again in its courses. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
7 All the rivers flow toward the sea, but the sea is never full; then rivers return to the headwaters where they began. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
8 Everything is wearisome, more than man is able to express. The eye is never satisfied by seeing, nor the ear by hearing. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9 Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Does anything exist about which someone might say, |Look at this! Is this new?| It happened ages ago; it existed before we did. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new|? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers those in the past, nor will they be remembered by those who come after them. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.
12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 I dedicated myself to using wisdom for study and discovery of everything that is done under heaven. God uses terrible things so human beings will struggle with life. And 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. I 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!
14 I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless—like chasing after the wind. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight; what is not there cannot be counted. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I told myself, |I have become greater and wiser than anyone who ruled before me in Jerusalem—yes, I have acquired a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.| I 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.” I 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.”
17 So I dedicated myself to learn about wisdom and knowledge, and about insanity and foolishness. And I discovered that this is also like chasing after the wind. And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. Then 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.
18 For with much wisdom there is much sorrow; the more someone adds to knowledge, the more someone adds to grief. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page