章 |
1:1 |
The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
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1:2 |
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
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1:3 |
What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?
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1:4 |
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
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1:5 |
The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises.
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1:6 |
The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.
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1:7 |
All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow.
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1:8 |
All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing.
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1:9 |
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
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1:10 |
Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has already been, in the ages before us.
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1:11 |
The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.
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1:12 |
I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem,
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1:13 |
applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with.
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1:14 |
I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
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1:15 |
What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
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1:16 |
I said to myself, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
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1:17 |
And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind.
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1:18 |
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.
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