Ecclesiastes 1
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NET BibleNew American Standard Bible 1995
1The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: 1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2"Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!" 2"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."
3What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth? 3What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does 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. 5Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again.
6The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. 6Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.
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 rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers 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; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is 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. 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.
10Is there anything about which someone can say, "Look at this! It is new!"? It was already done long ago, before our time. 10Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new "? Already it has existed for ages Which were 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 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.
12I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 12I, the Preacher, 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. 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.
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 works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.
15What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied. 15What is crooked cannot be straightened and 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, "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."
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! 17And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.
18For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache. 18Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
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Proverbs 31
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