Ecclesiastes 1
1 [the] words of Teacher [the] son of David king in Jerusalem.
Here are the words of the Teacher, the king of Jerusalem, David's son.
2 Futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility.
“Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
3 What? profit [belongs] to humankind in all toil his that he toils under the sun.
What benefit do you get for slaving away in this life?
4 A generation [is] going and a generation [is] coming and the earth for ever [is] continuing.
People come, and people go, but the earth lasts forever!
5 And it rises the sun and it goes the sun and to place its [is] panting [is] rising it there.
The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and then rushes to its place to rise again.
6 [it is] going To [the] south and [it is] circling to [the] north circling around - circling around [is] going the wind and on circuits its [is] returning the wind.
The wind blows south, and then turns to the north. Round and round it spins, finally coming full circle.
7 All the rivers [are] going to the sea and the sea not it [is] full to [the] place where the rivers [are] going there they [are] returning to go.
Streams all flow into the sea, but the sea never becomes full. The streams return to the place from where they came.
8 All things [are] wearisome not he is able anyone to speak [them] not it is satisfied an eye by seeing and not it is filled an ear from hearing.
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.
9 Whatever it has been it [is] which will be and whatever (which has been done *L(abh)*) it [is] which will be done and there not [is] any new [thing] under the sun.
Everything that was will continue to be; everything that has been done will be done again. Nothing new ever happens here.
10 [is] there? Anything that anyone will say see this [is] new it already it has been to ancient times which it was from to before us.
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.
11 There not [is] remembrance of the former [things] and also of the subsequent [things] that they will be not it will be of them remembrance with who will be to the later [time].
The problem is we don't remember people from the past, and people in the future won't remember those who came before them.
12 I Teacher I was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I am the Teacher, and I was king over Israel, reigning from Jerusalem.
13 And I gave heart my to study and to discover by wisdom on all that it has been done under the heavens it - [is] a task of evil [which] he has given God to [the] children of humankind to be busy with it.
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!
14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun and there! everything [is] futility and striving of wind.
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!
15 [something] bent Not it is able to become straight and something missing not it is able to be numbered.
You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
16 I have spoken I with heart my saying I here! I have made great and I have increased wisdom above every [one] who he was before me over Jerusalem and heart my it has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
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.”
17 And I gave! heart my to know wisdom and to know madness and folly I knew that also this it [is] a striving of wind.
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.
18 For [is] in abundance of wisdom abundance of frustration so someone may increase knowledge he will increase pain.
For with great wisdom comes great frustration. The greater the knowledge, the greater the pain.
