ESV 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. NIV 1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: ESV 2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. NIV 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” ESV 3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? NIV 3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? ESV 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. NIV 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. ESV 5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. NIV 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. ESV 6 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. NIV 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. ESV 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. NIV 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. ESV 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. NIV 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. ESV 9 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. NIV 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. ESV 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us. NIV 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. ESV 11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. NIV 11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them. ESV 12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. NIV 12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ESV 13 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. NIV 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! ESV 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. NIV 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. ESV 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. NIV 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. ESV 16 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." NIV 16 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.” ESV 17 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. NIV 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. ESV 18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. NIV 18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
NIV 1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: NIV 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” NIV 3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? NIV 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. NIV 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. NIV 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. NIV 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. NIV 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. NIV 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. NIV 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. NIV 11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them. NIV 12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. NIV 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! NIV 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. NIV 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. NIV 16 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.” NIV 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. NIV 18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.