0 SAB Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes

CHAPTER 1

All is vanity
1:1-18

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. [1]

2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. [2]

3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

In the end, nothing is achieved by all that we do in our lives.

4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

One generation is replaced by another.

Only the earth lasts forever. [3]

5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

The sun rises, and goes down,

and returns to the place where it arose. [4]

7All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

The rivers flow to the sea, yet the sea isn't full.

The water returns to the place where the rivers began and then return again. [5]

9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Things that have happened in the past will happen again.

There's nothing new on earth. [6]

11There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

No one remembers what happened long ago,

and no one will remember what happens now or in the future.

15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

The imperfect can't be corrected,

and what is missing can't be counted.

16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

I am the wisest person who has ever existed.

17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

18For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

I have sought wisdom, and have come to know madness and folly.

With wisdom comes grief, and increasing knowledge increases sorrow. [7]

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