Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 1"

Ecclesiastes 1

Revised Standard Version RSV

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

2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?

4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever.

5 The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.

6 The wind blows to the south, and goes round to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.

7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.

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.

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.

10 Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already, in the ages before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to happen among those who come after.

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I 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 the sons of men to be busy with.

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

15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered.

16 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 I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

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

2 "Absolutely pointless!" says the spokesman. "Absolutely pointless! Everything is pointless."

3 What do people gain from all their hard work under the sun?

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

5 The sun rises, and the sun sets, and then it rushes back to the place where it will rise [again].

6 The wind blows toward the south and shifts toward the north. Round and round it blows. It blows in a full circle.

7 All streams flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. The water goes back to the place where the streams began in order to [start] flowing again.

8 All of these sayings are worn-out phrases. They are more than anyone can express, comprehend, or understand.

9 Whatever has happened before will happen [again]. Whatever has been done before will be done [again]. There is nothing new under the sun.

10 Can you say that anything is new? It has already been here long before us.

11 Nothing from the past is remembered. Even in the future, nothing will be remembered by those who come after us.

12 I, the spokesman, have been king of Israel in Jerusalem.

13 With all my heart I used wisdom to study and explore everything done under heaven. Mortals are weighed down with a terrible burden that God has placed on them.

14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun. Look at it! It's all pointless. [It's like] trying to catch the wind.

15 No one can straighten what is bent. No one can count what is not there.

16 I thought to myself, "I have grown wiser than anyone who [has ruled] Jerusalem before me. I've had a lot of experience with wisdom and knowledge."

17 I've used my mind to understand wisdom and knowledge as well as madness and stupidity. [Now] I know that this is [like] trying to catch the wind.

18 With a lot of wisdom [comes] a lot of heartache. The greater [your] knowledge, the greater [your] pain.