| Holman Christian Standard (CSB) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
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1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
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2 "Absolute futility," says the Teacher. "Absolute futility. Everything is futile."
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2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
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3 What does a man gain for all his efforts he labors at under the sun?
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3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
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4 A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
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4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
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5 The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, [it returns] to its place where it rises.
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5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
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6 Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.
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6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
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7 All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full. The streams are flowing to the place, and they flow there again.
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7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
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8 All things are wearisome; man is unable to speak. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.
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8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
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9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
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9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
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10 Can one say about anything, "Look, this is new"? It has already existed in the ages before us.
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10 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.
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11 There is no memory of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no memory among those who follow [them].
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11 There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.
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12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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13 I applied my mind to seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.
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13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
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14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
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14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
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15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
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15 What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
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16 I said to myself, "Look, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge."
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16 I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge."
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17 I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.
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17 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.
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18 For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.
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18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
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| Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (Holman Christian Standard Bible Online) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
