Ecclesiastes 1
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1These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:1The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”2"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
3What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?3What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?
4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.5The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
6The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.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 into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.7All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
8All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.8All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.9What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.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.
11There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.11No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.
12I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.12I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!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 have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of 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 straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.15What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
16I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth 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 set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of 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 comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
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Proverbs 31
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