Parallel Bible results for "Ecclesiastes 1"

Ecclesiastes 1

Lexham English Bible LEB

1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 "Vanity of vanities!" says the Teacher, "Vanity of vanities! All [is] vanity!"

3 What does a person gain in all his toil with which he toils under the sun?

4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever.

5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down; to its place it hurries, and there it rises again.

6 The wind goes to the south and goes around to the north; around and around it goes, and on its circuit the wind returns.

7 All the streams flow to the sea, but the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow.

8 All things toil continuously; no one can ever finish describing this. The eye is never satisfied with seeing, and the ear is never filled with hearing.

9 What has been--it is what will be; what has been done--it is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.

10 There is a thing [of] which it is said, "Look at this! This is new!" [But] it already existed in ages past before us.

11 There is neither remembrance of former generations, nor will there be remembrance of future generations.

12 I, the Teacher, [was] king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 I applied my mind to seek and to search by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. It [is] a grievous task God has given to {humans}.

14 I saw all the works that are done under the sun. Look! Everything [is] vanity and chasing wind.

15 What is twisted cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 {I said to myself}, "Look! I have become great and have increased [in] wisdom more than anyone who {has preceded} me over Jerusalem. {I have acquired a great deal of wisdom and knowledge}."

17 So {I dedicated myself} to learn about wisdom and [to] learn about delusion and folly. However, I discovered that this also [is] chasing wind.

18 For in much wisdom [is] much frustration, and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.

New International Version NIV

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.

6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.

7 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 things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

9 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 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 generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

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 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 crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.

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.”

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.

18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.