English Bible Presentation Sharing - Ecclesiastes Book, chapter All, verse All in Net Version

Ecclesiastes 1 : 1 (NET)

The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Ecclesiastes 1 : 2 (NET)

"Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!"

Ecclesiastes 1 : 3 (NET)

What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?

Ecclesiastes 1 : 4 (NET)

A generation comes and a generation goes, but the earth remains the same through the ages.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 5 (NET)

The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 6 (NET)

The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 7 (NET)

All the streams flow into the sea, but the sea is not full, and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 8 (NET)

All this monotony is tiresome; no one can bear to describe it: The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 9 (NET)

What exists now is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing truly new on earth.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 10 (NET)

Is there anything about which someone can say, "Look at this! It is new!"? It was already done long ago, before our time.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 11 (NET)

No one remembers the former events, nor will anyone remember the events that are yet to happen; they will not be remembered by the future generations.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 12 (NET)

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

Ecclesiastes 1 : 13 (NET)

I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 14 (NET)

I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile� like chasing the wind!

Ecclesiastes 1 : 15 (NET)

What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied.

Ecclesiastes 1 : 16 (NET)

I thought to myself, "I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge."

Ecclesiastes 1 : 17 (NET)

So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!

Ecclesiastes 1 : 18 (NET)

For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache.