Ecclesiastes 1
1 Here are the words of the Teacher, the king of Jerusalem, David's son.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
2 “Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What benefit do you get for slaving away in this life?
What advantage [is there] to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?
4 People come, and people go, but the earth lasts forever!
A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
5 The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and then rushes to its place to rise again.
And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;
6 The wind blows south, and then turns to the north. Round and round it spins, finally coming full circle.
arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
7 Streams all flow into the sea, but the sea never becomes full. The streams return to the place from where they came.
All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 Everything just keeps on going. You can't say all there is to say. You can't see all there is to see. You can't hear all there is to hear.
All things are full of labour; a man will not be able to speak [of them]: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.
9 Everything that was will continue to be; everything that has been done will be done again. Nothing new ever happens here.
What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 There's nothing anyone can point to and say, “Look! Here's something new.” In fact it's been around for ages, long before our time.
[Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us.
11 The problem is we don't remember people from the past, and people in the future won't remember those who came before them.
There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last [time].
12 I am the Teacher, and I was king over Israel, reigning from Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 I decided to focus my mind to explore, using wisdom, everything that happens here on earth. This is a tough assignment that God has given people to keep them busy!
And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.
14 I examined everything people do here on earth, and discovered that it's all so temporary—trying to understand it is like trying to pin down the wind!
I beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, beheld, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
15 You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and deficiency cannot be numbered.
16 I thought to myself, “I've become very wise, wiser than all the kings of Jerusalem before me. My mind has gained a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.”
I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.
17 So I decided to use my mind to learn everything about wisdom, and madness and foolishness as well. But I found out that this is as hard as trying to catch hold of the wind.
And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
18 For with great wisdom comes great frustration. The greater the knowledge, the greater the pain.
For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.
