Ecclesiastes 1
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New American Standard Bible 1995Holman Christian Standard Bible
1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.1The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem."
2"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."2Absolute futility," says the Teacher." Absolute futility. Everything is futile."
3What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?3What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at 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 sets; panting, it returns to its 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.6Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.
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 the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full. The streams are flowing to the place, and they flow there 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 wearisome; man is unable to speak. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or 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; 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.10Can one say about anything," Look, this is new"? It has already existed 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 those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them.
12I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.12I, the Teacher, 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.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.
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 all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of 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 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 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."
17And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.17I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.
18Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.18For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.
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.orgHolman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Proverbs 31
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