Ecclesiastes 1
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1The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: 1The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2"Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!" 2"Absolute futility," says the Teacher. "Absolute futility. Everything is futile."
3What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth? 3What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?
4A generation comes and a generation goes, but the earth remains the same through the ages. 4A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again. 5The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it returns to the place where it rises.
6The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. 6Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.
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. 7All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
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. 8All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.
9What exists now is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing truly new on earth. 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 about which someone can say, "Look at this! It is new!"? It was already done long ago, before our time. 10Can one say about anything, "Look, this is new"? It has already existed in the ages before us.
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. 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 Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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. 13I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.
14I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile--like chasing the 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 bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied. 15What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
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." 16I said to myself, "See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge."
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! 17I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.
18For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache. 18For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.
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Proverbs 31
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