| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. | 1The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: |
| 2"Utterly pointless," says the Teacher. "Absolutely pointless; everything is pointless." | 2"Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!" |
| 3What does a man gain from all of the work that he undertakes on earth? | 3What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth? |
| 4A generation goes, a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. | 4A generation comes and a generation goes, but the earth remains the same through the ages. |
| 5The sun rises, the sun sets, then rushes back to where it arose. | 5The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again. |
| 6The wind blows southward, then northward, constantly circulating, and the wind comes back again in its courses. | 6The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. |
| 7All the rivers flow toward the sea, but the sea is never full; then rivers return to the headwaters where they began. | 7All the streams flow into the sea, but the sea is not full, and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again. |
| 8Everything is wearisome, more than man is able to express. The eye is never satisfied by seeing, nor the ear by hearing. | 8All this monotony is tiresome; no one can bear to describe it: The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing. |
| 9Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth. | 9What exists now is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing truly new on earth. |
| 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 about which someone can say, "Look at this! It is new!"? It was already done long ago, 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 events, nor will anyone remember the events that are yet to happen; they will not be remembered by the future generations. |
| 12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. | 12I, the Teacher, have been 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 decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied. |
| 14I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless—like chasing after the wind. | 14I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile--like chasing the wind! |
| 15What is crooked cannot be made straight; what is not there cannot be counted. | 15What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied. |
| 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 thought to myself, "I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much 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. | 17So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind! |
| 18For with much wisdom there is much sorrow; the more someone adds to knowledge, the more someone adds to grief. | 18For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache. |
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