| The Webster Bible (WBT) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
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1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
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2 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.
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2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
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3 What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh 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 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
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4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
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5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
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5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
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6 The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.
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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 rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return 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] full of labor; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor 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 The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] 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 Is there [any] thing of which it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was 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 remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.
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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 preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.
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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 works that are done under the sun; and behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
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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 [That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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15 What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
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16 I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of 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 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
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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 in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
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18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
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| The Webster Bible is in the public domain. (The Webster 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) |
