Ecclesiastes 1
1 Here are the words of the Teacher, the king of Jerusalem, David's son.
The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem.
2 “Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity!
3 What benefit do you get for slaving away in this life?
What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?
4 People come, and people go, but the earth lasts forever!
A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever.
5 The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and then rushes to its place to rise again.
The sun rises and sets; it returns to its place, and from there, being born again,
6 The wind blows south, and then turns to the north. Round and round it spins, finally coming full circle.
it circles through the south, and arcs toward the north. The spirit continues on, illuminating everything in its circuit, and turning again in its cycle.
7 Streams all flow into the sea, but the sea never becomes full. The streams return to the place from where they came.
All rivers enter into the sea, and the sea does not overflow. To the place from which the rivers go out, they return, so that they may flow 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.
Such things are difficult; man is not able to explain them with words. The eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear fulfilled by 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 it that has existed? The same shall exist in the future. What is it that has been done? The same shall continue to be done.
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.
There is nothing new under the sun. Neither is anyone able to say: “Behold, this is new!” For it has already been brought forth in the ages that were 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 remembrance of the former things. Indeed, neither shall there be any record of past things in the future, for those who will exist at the very end.
12 I am the Teacher, and I was king over Israel, reigning from Jerusalem.
I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel at 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 was determined in my mind to seek and to investigate wisely, concerning all that is done under the sun. God has given this very difficult task to the sons of men, so that they may be occupied by it.
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 have seen all that is done under the sun, and behold: all is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit.
15 You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
The perverse are unwilling to be corrected, and the number of the foolish is boundless.
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 have spoken in my heart, saying: “Behold, I have achieved greatness, and I have surpassed all the wise who were before me in Jerusalem.” And my mind has contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.
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 I have dedicated my heart, so that I may know prudence and doctrine, and also error and foolishness. Yet I recognize that, in these things also, there is hardship, and affliction of the spirit.
18 For with great wisdom comes great frustration. The greater the knowledge, the greater the pain.
Because of this, with much wisdom there is also much anger. And whoever adds knowledge, also adds hardship.
