Ecclesiastes 1
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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, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3What does a man gain from all of the work that he undertakes on earth? 3What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4A generation goes, a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5The sun rises, the sun sets, then rushes back to where it arose.5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6The wind blows southward, then northward, constantly circulating, and the wind comes back again in its courses.6The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7All the rivers flow toward the sea, but the sea is never full; then rivers return to the headwaters where they began.7All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return 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 labour; 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.9The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing 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 any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was 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; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 12I the Preacher was 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 gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless—like chasing after the wind.14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15What is crooked cannot be made straight; what is not there cannot be counted.15That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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 communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart 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 gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
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 grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.
King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Proverbs 31
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