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Ecclesiastes 1:9-18
King James Version
Ecclesiastes 1:9-18
King James Version
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
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Ecclesiastes 1:9-18
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 1:9-18
New International Version
9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;(A)
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers the former generations,(B)
and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow them.(C)
Wisdom Is Meaningless
12 I, the Teacher,(D) was king over Israel in Jerusalem.(E) 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.(F) What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!(G) 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(H)
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;(I)
what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me;(J) I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom,(K) and also of madness and folly,(L) but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
New International Version (NIV) 
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