Ecc 1 | NASB1995 | STEP | The words of the Preacher , the son of David , king in Jerusalem .

Ecclesiastes 1

The Futility of All Endeavor

1 The words of the ^aPreacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 ^{▼▼ Or Futility of futilities
,} ^c“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
^{▼▼ Or Futility of futilities}“Vanity of vanities! All is ^{▼▼ Or futile}vanity.”

3 ^fWhat advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?
4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the ^gearth ^{▼▼ Lit stands}remains forever.
5 Also, ⁱthe sun rises and the sun sets;
And ^{▼▼ Lit panting}hastening to its place it rises there again.
6 ^{▼▼ Lit Going
,} ^lBlowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues ^{▼▼ Lit turning}swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
7 All the rivers ^{▼▼ Lit go}flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers ^{▼▼ Lit go}flow,
There they ^{▼▼ Lit go}flow again.
8 All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
^qThe eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
9 ^rThat which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has existed for ages
Which were before us.
11 There is ^sno remembrance of ^{▼▼ Lit first or former}earlier things;
And also of the ^{▼▼ Lit latter or after}later things which will occur,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come ^{▼▼ Lit latter or after}later still.

The Futility of Wisdom

12 I, the ^wPreacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I ^xset my ^{▼▼ Lit heart}mind to seek and ^zexplore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is ^{▼▼ Lit an evil}a grievous ^abtask which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is ^{▼▼ Or futility
,} ^advanity and striving after wind. 15 What is ^aecrooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I ^{▼▼ Lit spoke with my heart, saying}said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased ^agwisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my ^{▼▼ Lit heart}mind has observed ^{▼▼ Lit an abundance}a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I ^ajset my ^{▼▼ Lit heart}mind to know wisdom and to ^alknow madness and folly; I realized that this also is ^amstriving after wind. 18 Because ^anin much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.