Ecclesiastes 1 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 1 ▼
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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 |Futile! Futile!| laments the Teacher, |Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!| Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
3 What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend 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 comes and a generation goes, but the earth remains the same through the ages. 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 and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again. 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 goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. 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 flow into the sea, but the sea is not full, and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again. 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 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. 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 exists now is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing truly 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 Is there anything about which someone can say, |Look at this! It is new!|? It was already done long ago, before our time. 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 the former events, nor will anyone remember the events that are yet to happen; they will not be remembered by the future generations. 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 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. 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 reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile--like chasing 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 bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied. 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 thought to myself, |I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much 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 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! 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 great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache. 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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