Everything Is Futile 1 CPDV The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem. BSB BSB: These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 CPDV Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity! BSB BSB: “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
3 CPDV What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun? BSB BSB: What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4 CPDV A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever. BSB BSB: Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
6 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
7 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.
8 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
9 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
11 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
With Wisdom Comes Sorrow 12 CPDV I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel at Jerusalem. BSB BSB: I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
14 CPDV I have seen all that is done under the sun, and behold: all is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit. BSB BSB: I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
15 CPDV The perverse are unwilling to be corrected, and the number of the foolish is boundless. BSB BSB: What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
17 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
18 CPDV Because of this, with much wisdom there is also much anger. And whoever adds knowledge, also adds hardship. BSB BSB: For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.