Ecclesiastes 1Ecclesiastes1

King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

1. Everything Is Futile

2. 1KJVThe words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.BSBBSB: These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
3. 2KJVVanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.BSBBSB: “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
4. 3KJVWhat profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?BSBBSB: What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
5. 4KJVOne generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.BSBBSB: Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
6. 5KJVThe sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.BSBBSB: The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
7. 6KJVThe wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.BSBBSB: The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
8. 7KJVAll the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.BSBBSB: 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.
9. 8KJVAll things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.BSBBSB: All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
10. 9KJVThe thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.BSBBSB: What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
11. 10KJVIs there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.BSBBSB: Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
12. 11KJVThere is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.BSBBSB: There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.

13. With Wisdom Comes Sorrow

14. 12KJVI the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.BSBBSB: I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
15. 13KJVAnd I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.BSBBSB: 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!
16. 14KJVI have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.BSBBSB: 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.
17. 15KJVThat which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.BSBBSB: What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
18. 16KJVI communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.BSBBSB: 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.”
19. 17KJVAnd I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.BSBBSB: So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
20. 18KJVFor in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.BSBBSB: For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.