| New American Standard Bible 1995 | English Standard Version |
| 1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. | 1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. |
| 2"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." | 2Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. |
| 3What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? | 3What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? |
| 4A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever. | 4A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. |
| 5Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. | 5The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. |
| 6Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. | 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 into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again. | 7All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. |
| 8All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with 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. |
| 9That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. | 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. |
| 10Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new "? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us. | 10Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. |
| 11There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still. | 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 Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. | 12I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. |
| 13And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. | 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 have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after 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 straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. | 15What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. |
| 16I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth 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.” |
| 17And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after 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. |
| 18Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain. | 18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | 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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