Ecclesiastes 1 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Futility of All Endeavors

1 The words ^H1697 of the Preacher ^H6953, the son ^H1121 of David ^H1732, king ^H4428 in Jerusalem ^H3389.

2 “Futility ^H1892 of futilities ^H1892,” says ^H559 the Preacher ^H6953,

“Futility ^H1892 of futilities ^H1892! All ^H3605 is futility ^H1892.”

3 What ^H4100 advantage ^H3504 does a person ^H120 have in all ^H3605 his work ^H5999

Which ^H7945 he does ^H5998 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121?

4 A generation ^H1755 goes ^H1980 and a generation ^H1755 comes ^H935,

But the earth ^H776 [fn]remains ^H5975 forever ^H5769.

5 Also, the sun ^H8121 rises ^H2224 and the sun ^H8121 sets ^H935;

And [fn]hurrying ^H7602 to its place ^H4725 it rises ^H2224 there ^H8033 again.

6 [fn]Blowing ^H1980 toward ^H413 the south ^H1864,

Then turning ^H5437 toward ^H413 the north ^H6828,

The wind ^H7307 continues ^H1980 [fn]swirling ^H5437 along ^H1980;

And on its circular ^H5439 courses ^H5439 the wind ^H7307 returns ^H7725.

7 All ^H3605 the rivers ^H5158 [fn]flow ^H1980 into the sea ^H3220,

Yet the sea ^H3220 is not full ^H4392.

To the place ^H4725 where ^H7945 the rivers ^H5158 [fn]flow ^H1980,

There ^H8033 they [fn]flow ^H1980 again ^H7725.

8 All ^H3605 things ^H1697 are wearisome ^H3023;

No ^H3808 one ^H376 can ^H3201 tell ^H1696 it.

The eye ^H5869 is ^H7646 not satisfied ^H7646 with seeing ^H7200,

Nor ^H3808 is the ear ^H241 filled ^H4390 with hearing ^H8085.

9 What ^H4100 has been ^H1961, it is what ^H7945 will be,

And what ^H4100 has been done ^H6213, it is what ^H7945 will be done ^H6213.

So there ^H369 is ^H369 nothing ^H369 H3605 new ^H2319 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121.

10 Is ^H3426 there ^H3426 anything ^H1697 of which ^H7945 one might say ^H559,

“See ^H7200 this ^H2088, it is new ^H2319”?

It has already ^H3528 existed ^H1961 for ages ^H5769

Which ^H834 were before ^H4480 H6440 us.

11 There ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 remembrance ^H2146 of the [fn]earlier ^H7223 things ^H7223,

And of the later ^H314 things ^H314 as ^H1571 well ^H1571, which ^H7945 will occur ^H1961,

There will be no ^H3808 remembrance ^H2146 of them

Among ^H5973 those who ^H7945 will come ^H1961 later ^H314 still.

The Futility of Wisdom

12 I, the Preacher ^H6953, have been ^H1961 king ^H4428 over ^H5921 Israel ^H3478 in Jerusalem ^H3389.

13 And I set ^H5414 my [fn]mind ^H3820 to seek ^H1875 and explore ^H8446 by wisdom ^H2451 about ^H5921 everything ^H3605 that has been done ^H6213 under ^H8478 heaven ^H8064. It is a [fn]sorry ^H7451 task ^H6045 with which God ^H430 has given ^H5414 the sons ^H1121 of mankind ^H120 to be ^H6031 troubled ^H6031. 14 I have seen ^H7200 all ^H3605 the works ^H4639 which ^H7945 have been done ^H6213 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121, and behold ^H2009, all ^H3605 is futility ^H1892 and striving ^H7469 after wind ^H7307. 15 What is crooked ^H5791 cannot ^H3201 H3808 be straightened ^H8626, and what ^H2642 is ^H2642 lacking ^H2642 cannot ^H3201 H3808 be counted ^H4487.

16 I [fn]said ^H1696 to myself ^H3820, “Behold ^H2009, I have magnified ^H1431 and increased ^H3254 wisdom ^H2451 more ^H5921 than ^H5921 all ^H3605 who ^H834 were over ^H5921 Jerusalem ^H3389 before ^H6440 me; and my [fn]mind ^H3820 has observed ^H7200 [fn]a wealth ^H7235 of wisdom ^H2451 and knowledge ^H1847.” 17 And I applied ^H5414 my [fn]mind ^H3820 to know ^H3045 wisdom ^H2451 and to know ^H3045 insanity ^H1947 and foolishness ^H5531; I realized ^H3045 that this ^H2088 also ^H1571 is striving ^H7475 after wind ^H7307. 18 Because ^H3588 in much ^H7230 wisdom ^H2451 there is much ^H7230 grief ^H3708; and increasing ^H3254 knowledge ^H1847 results in increasing ^H3254 pain ^H4341.