| International Standard Version | English Standard Version |
| 1The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. | 1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. |
| 2"Utterly pointless," says the Teacher. "Absolutely pointless; everything is pointless." | 2Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. |
| 3What does a man gain from all of the work that he undertakes on earth? | 3What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? |
| 4A generation goes, a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. | 4A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. |
| 5The sun rises, the sun sets, then rushes back to where it arose. | 5The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. |
| 6The wind blows southward, then northward, constantly circulating, and the wind comes back again in its courses. | 6The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. |
| 7All the rivers flow toward the sea, but the sea is never full; then rivers return to the headwaters where they began. | 7All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. |
| 8Everything is wearisome, more than man is able to express. The eye is never satisfied by seeing, nor the ear by hearing. | 8All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. |
| 9Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth. | 9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. |
| 10Does anything exist about which someone might say, "Look at this! Is this new?" It happened ages ago; it existed before we did. | 10Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. |
| 11No one remembers those in the past, nor will they be remembered by those who come after them. | 11There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. |
| 12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. | 12I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. |
| 13I dedicated myself to using wisdom for study and discovery of everything that is done under heaven. God uses terrible things so human beings will struggle with life. | 13And 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. |
| 14I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless—like chasing after the wind. | 14I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. |
| 15What is crooked cannot be made straight; what is not there cannot be counted. | 15What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. |
| 16I told myself, "I have become greater and wiser than anyone who ruled before me in Jerusalem—yes, I have acquired a great deal of wisdom and knowledge." | 16I 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.” |
| 17So I dedicated myself to learn about wisdom and knowledge, and about insanity and foolishness. And I discovered that this is also like chasing after the wind. | 17And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. |
| 18For with much wisdom there is much sorrow; the more someone adds to knowledge, the more someone adds to grief. | 18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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