Septuagint Bible w/ Apocrypha LXX
New Revised Standard w/ Apocrypha NRSA
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
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The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
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Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What advantage to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?
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What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
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A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;
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The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises.
6 arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
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The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
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All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow.
8 All things are full of labour; a man will not be able to speak : neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.
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All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing.
9 What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
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What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
10 that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us.
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Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has already been, in the ages before us.
11 There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last .
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The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem,
13 And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.
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applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with.
14 I beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, beheld, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
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I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and deficiency cannot be numbered.
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What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.
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I said to myself, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
17 And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
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And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind.
18 For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.
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For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.