Ecclesiastes 1
1
Opening motto
1The words of the Teacher of the Assembly,#1.1 Or Gatherer or Convener or Assembler (Heb Qoheleth); see also 1:2, 12; 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10. David’s son, king in Jerusalem:
2Perfectly pointless,#1.2 Or meaningless or vapor or puff of air (Heb hebel, which often occurs in the book) says the Teacher, perfectly pointless.
Everything is pointless.
Some things are inevitable
3What do people gain from all the hard work
that they work so hard at under the sun?
4A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains as it always has.
5The sun rises, the sun sets;
it returns panting to the place where it dawns.
6The wind blows to the south,
goes around to the north;
around and around blows the wind;
the wind returns to its rounds again.
7All streams flow to the sea,
but the sea is never full;
to the place where the rivers flow,
there they continue to flow.
8All words#1.8 Or things are tiring;
no one is able to speak.
The eye isn’t satisfied with seeing,
neither is the ear filled up by hearing.
9Whatever has happened—that’s what will happen again;
whatever has occurred—that’s what will occur again.
There’s nothing new under the sun. 10People may say about something: “Look at this! It’s new!” But it was already around for ages before us. 11There’s no remembrance of things in the past, nor of things to come in the future. Neither will there be any remembrance among those who come along in the future.
The Teacher’s quest
12I am the Teacher. I was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13I applied my mind to investigate and to explore by wisdom all that happens under heaven. It’s an unhappy obsession that God has given to human beings.
14When I observed all that happens under the sun, I realized that everything is pointless, a chasing after wind.
15What’s crooked can’t be straightened;
what isn’t there can’t be counted.
16I said to myself, Look here, I have grown much wiser than any who ruled over Jerusalem before me. My mind has absorbed great wisdom and knowledge. 17But when I set my mind to understand wisdom, and also to understand madness and folly, I realized that this too was just wind chasing.
18Remember:
In much wisdom is much aggravation;
the more knowledge, the more pain.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 1
1
Kohelet: the Preacher
1The words of Kohelet , son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2Futile! Futile! says Kohelet. Completely meaningless! Everything is futile!
3What does a person gain in all his labor that he toils under the sun?
4A generation comes, and a generation goes, but the earth remains forever.
5The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to the place it rises.
6The wind goes toward the south, and circles around to the north. Round and round it swirls about, ever returning to its circuits.
7All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they go again.
8All things are wearisome. No one can express them. The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9What has been is what will be, and what has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun.
10Is there anything about which is said, “Look! This is new!”? It was already here long ago, in the ages long before us.
11There is no remembrance for former things, and things yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.
Search for Meaning in Life
12I, Kohelet, am king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13I applied my heart to seek and examine by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a burdensome task God has given the sons of men to keep them occupied.
14I have seen all the deeds done under the sun; and behold, all is meaningless and chasing after the wind.
15What is crooked cannot be made straight. What is missing cannot be counted.
16I spoke with my heart saying: “I have grown rich and increased in wisdom more than any who were before me over Jerusalem. Indeed, my heart has experienced much wisdom and knowledge.”
17So I applied my heart to know wisdom as well as to know madness and folly. I learned that this too was pursuit of the wind.
18For with much wisdom comes much grief, and whoever keeps increasing knowledge, increases heartache.
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