International Standard Version | New International Version |
1The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. | 1The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: |
2"Utterly pointless," says the Teacher. "Absolutely pointless; everything is pointless." | 2"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." |
3What does a man gain from all of the work that he undertakes on earth? | 3What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? |
4A generation goes, a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. | 4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. |
5The sun rises, the sun sets, then rushes back to where it arose. | 5The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to 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 turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. |
7All the rivers flow toward the sea, but the sea is never full; then rivers return to the headwaters where they began. | 7All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there 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 wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. |
9Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth. | 9What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; 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 anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. |
11No one remembers those in the past, nor will they be remembered by those who come after them. | 11No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them. |
12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. | 12I, the Teacher, 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. | 13I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! |
14I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless—like chasing after the wind. | 14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. |
15What is crooked cannot be made straight; what is not there cannot be counted. | 15What is crooked cannot be straightened; 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 to myself, "Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much 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. | 17Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. |
18For with much wisdom there is much sorrow; the more someone adds to knowledge, the more someone adds to grief. | 18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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