Everything Is Futile 1 UEB These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 UEB The Teacher says this. "Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions. BSB BSB: “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
3 UEB What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun? BSB BSB: What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4 UEB One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever. BSB BSB: Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
6 UEB The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again. BSB BSB: The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
7 UEB All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go 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 UEB Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears. 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 UEB Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun. 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 UEB Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long 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 UEB No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either." 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 UEB I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 UEB I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with. 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 UEB I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind. 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 UEB The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted! BSB BSB: What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 UEB I have spoken to my heart saying, "Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge." 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 UEB So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind. 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 UEB For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. 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.