12 I am the Teacher. I was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
12
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 I applied my mind to investigate and to explore by wisdom all that happens under heaven. It's an unhappy obsession that God has given to human beings.
13
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 When I observed all that happens under the sun, I realized that everything is pointless, a chasing after wind.
14
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What's crooked can't be straightened; what isn't there can't be counted.
15
What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.