Everything Is Futile 1 WBS The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. BSB BSB: These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 WBS Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. BSB BSB: “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
3 WBS What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun? BSB BSB: What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4 WBS One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.BSB BSB: Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
6 WBS The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits. BSB BSB: The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
7 WBS All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return 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 WBS All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it : the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with 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 WBS The 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. 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 WBS Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was 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 WBS There is no remembrance of former things ; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.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 WBS I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 WBS And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with 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 WBS I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of 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 WBS That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.BSB BSB: What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 WBS I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of 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 WBS And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of 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 WBS For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth 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.