Ecclesiastes Chapter[BR] 1

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 "Absolute futility," says the Teacher. "Absolute futility. Everything is futile."

3 What does a man gain for all his efforts he labors at under the sun?

4 A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

Ecclesiastes Chapter[BR] 1

5 The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, *it returns to its place where it rises.

6 Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.

7 All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full. The streams are flowing to the place, and they flow there again.

Ecclesiastes Chapter[BR] 1

8 All things are wearisome; man is unable to speak. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.

9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Can one say about anything, "Look, this is new"? It has already existed in the ages before us.

Ecclesiastes Chapter[BR] 1

11 There is no memory of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no memory among those who follow *them .

12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 I applied my mind to seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.

Ecclesiastes Chapter[BR] 1

14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said to myself, "Look, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge."

Ecclesiastes Chapter[BR] 1

17 I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.

18 For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.