Ecclesiastes 1
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Holman Christian Standard BibleBerean Study Bible
1The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem." 1These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2Absolute futility," says the Teacher." Absolute futility. Everything is futile." 2“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
3What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? 3What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it returns to its place where it rises. 5The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
6Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles. 6The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
7All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full. The streams are flowing to the place, and they flow there again. 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.
8All things are wearisome; man is unable to speak. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing. 8All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. 9What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10Can one say about anything," Look, this is new"? It has already existed in the ages before us. 10Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
11There is no remembrance of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them. 11There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 12I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13I applied my mind to seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.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!
14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. 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.
15What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. 15What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16I said to myself, "Look, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge." 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.”
17I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind. 17So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
18For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases. 18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.
Proverbs 31
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