Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 1"

Ecclesiastes 1

Hebrew Names Version HNV

1 The words of Kohelet, the son of David, king in Yerushalayim:

2 "Vanity of vanities," says Kohelet; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

3 What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

4 One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the eretz remains forever.

5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

8 All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, "Behold, this is new?" It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

11 There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

12 I, Kohelet, was king over Yisra'el in Yerushalayim.

13 I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

15 That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is lacking can't be counted.

16 I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Yerushalayim. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."

17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

The Message Bible MSG

1 These are the words of the Quester, David's son and king in Jerusalem:

2 Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That's what the Quester says.] There's nothing to anything - it's all smoke.

3 What's there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?

4 One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes - it's business as usual for old planet earth.

5 The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again - the same old round.

6 The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that - the whirling, erratic wind.

7 All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up. The rivers keep flowing to the same old place, and then start all over and do it again.

8 Everything's boring, utterly boring - no one can find any meaning in it. Boring to the eye, boring to the ear.

9 What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There's nothing new on this earth. Year after year it's the same old thing.

10 Does someone call out, "Hey, this is new"? Don't get excited - it's the same old story.

11 Nobody remembers what happened yesterday. And the things that will happen tomorrow? Nobody'll remember them either. Don't count on being remembered.

12 Call me "the Quester." I've been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there's not much to write home about. God hasn't made it easy for us.

14 I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke - smoke, and spitting into the wind.

15 Life's a corkscrew that can't be straightened, A minus that won't add up.

16 I said to myself, "I know more and I'm wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I've stockpiled wisdom and knowledge."

17 What I've finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless - nothing but spitting into the wind.

18 Much learning earns you much trouble. The more you know, the more you hurt.