Ecclesiastes 1 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 1 ▼
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1 Words of a preacher, 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 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun? 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 is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time. A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5 Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there. 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 Going to the south, and turning around to the north, turning around, turning around, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind has returned. 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 streams are going to the sea, and the sea is not full; to a place to where the streams are going, there they are turning back to go. 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 All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear filled from 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 What [is] that which has been? It [is] that which is, and what [is] that which has been done? It [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun. 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 There is a thing of which [one] says: “See this, it [is] new!” Already it has been in the ages that were before us! 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 There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last. 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, a preacher, 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 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God has given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. 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 have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit! 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 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered. 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 spoke with my heart, saying, “I, behold, have magnified and added wisdom above everyone who has been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart has seen wisdom and knowledge abundantly. 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 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] distress of spirit; 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 in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.” 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.
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