Ecclesiastes 1
Lexham English Bible
Prologue
1 The words of the Teacher,[a] the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Motto Introduced
2 “Vanity of vanities!” says the Teacher,[b]
“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!”
All Toil is Profitless and Repetitious
3 What does a person gain in all his toil
with which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth stands forever.
5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down;
to its place it hurries,[c] and there it rises again.
6 The wind goes to the south and goes around to the north;
around and around it goes, and on its circuit the wind returns.
7 All the streams flow to the sea,
but the sea is never full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they continue to flow.
8 All things toil continuously;[d]
no one can ever finish describing this.[e]
The eye is never[f] satisfied with seeing,
and the ear is never[g] filled with hearing.
9 What has been—it is what will be;
what has been done—it is what will be done;
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 There is a thing of which it is said, “Look at this! This is new!”
But it already existed in ages past before us.
11 There is neither remembrance of former generations,
nor will there be remembrance of future generations.
Qohelet Introduces His Quest
12 I, the Teacher,[h] was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to seek and to search by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.[i] It is a grievous task God has given to humans.[j] 14 I saw all the works that are done under the sun. Look! Everything is vanity and chasing wind.
16 I said to myself,[m] “Look! I have become great and have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has preceded[n] me over Jerusalem. I have acquired a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.”[o] 17 So I dedicated myself[p] to learn about wisdom and to learn about delusion and folly. However, I discovered[q] that this also is chasing wind.
18 For in much wisdom is much frustration,[r]
and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 1:1 Hebrew “Qohelet”
- Ecclesiastes 1:2 Hebrew “Qohelet”
- Ecclesiastes 1:5 The MT reads “it gasps for breath,” which is supported by LXX “to draw breath”; the BHS editors suggest “it returns again”
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 Or “are wearisome”
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 The MT reads “no one is able to speak.” The BHS editors suggest “no one can finish speaking.” On the basis of internal evidence, the latter is adopted in the translation, since it makes better sense in the light of the immediate context
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 Or “not”
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 Or “not”
- Ecclesiastes 1:12 Hebrew “Qohelet”
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 MT reads “under the heavens,” which is supported by LXX; however, several versions (Syriac Peshitta, Aramaic Targum, Latin Vulgate) as well as the Cairo Geniza manuscript read, “under the sun,” cf. 1:3, 9, etc.
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 Literally “the sons of the man”
- Ecclesiastes 1:15 The MT reads the active “to be straight”; however, the BHS editors suggest the passive “to be straightened,” which is supported by LXX, which reflects a passive form
- Ecclesiastes 1:15 The MT reads “to be numbered”; however, the BHS editors suggest “to be supplied,” comparing 1:15b with similar wording in the Babylonian Talmud: “May the Almighty replenish your loss” (b. Berachot 16b)
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Literally “I myself said to my heart”
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Literally “before me”
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Literally “And my mind has seen much wisdom and knowledge”
- Ecclesiastes 1:17 Literally “So I gave my heart”
- Ecclesiastes 1:17 Or “I knew”
- Ecclesiastes 1:18 Or “vexation”
Ecclesiastes 1
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 Vapor of vapors and futility of futilities, says the Preacher. Vapor of vapors and futility of futilities! All is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and vainglory).(A)
3 What profit does man have left from all his toil at which he toils [a]under the sun? [Is life worth living?]
4 One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.(B)
5 The sun also rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.
6 The wind goes to the south and circles about to the north; it circles and circles about continually, and on its circuit the wind returns again.(C)
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from which the rivers come, to there and from there they return again.
8 All things are weary with toil and all words are feeble; man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.(D)
9 The thing that has been—it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been, in the vast ages of time [recorded or unrecorded] which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former happenings or men, neither will there be any remembrance of happenings of generations that are to come by those who are to come after them.
12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I applied myself by heart and mind to seek and search out by [human] [b]wisdom all human activity under heaven. It is a miserable business which [c]God has given to the sons of man with which to busy themselves.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a striving after the wind and a feeding on wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted.
16 I entered into counsel with my own mind, saying, Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom, yes, more than all who have been over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge.
17 And I gave my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I perceived that this also is a searching after wind and a feeding on it.(E)
18 For in much [human] wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 1:3 Ecclesiastes is the book of the natural man whose interests are confined to the unstable, vanishing pleasures and empty satisfactions of those who live merely “under the sun.” The natural man is not aware that all the affirmative answers to life are to be found in Him Who is above, not “under,” the sun. The natural man grovels in the dust and finds only earthworms, while the spiritual man may soar on wings like eagles (Isa. 40:31) above all that is futile and disappointing, and may live in the consciousness of God’s companionship, favor, and incomparable, everlasting rewards.
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 The “Wisdom” of Proverbs is not the “wisdom” of Ecclesiastes. The former is Godlike, the latter is usually human.
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 Throughout this book not once is the Supreme Being recognized as “Lord” [of lords and King of kings]. The word used to designate Him is invariably the one that may be applied to God or to idols—“Elohim,” the God recognized “under the sun.” The wisdom which is thus limited can end only in “a miserable business” and in vexation of spirit until it finds “the wisdom that is from above” (James 3:17 kjv), “the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (I Cor. 2:7 kjv).
传道书 1
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
1 以下是传道者，就是在耶路撒冷作王、大卫的儿子所说的话。
万事令人厌倦都是虚空
2 传道者说：虚空的虚空。
虚空的虚空，一切都是虚空。
3 人的一切劳碌，就是他在日光之下的劳碌，
对自己有甚么益处呢？
4 一代过去，一代又来，
地却永远存在。
5 太阳升起，太阳落下，
匆忙回到它上升之处。
6 风向南刮，又往北转，
循环周行，旋转不息。
7 江河向海里流，海却不满溢；
江河之水归回本源，循环流转。
8 万事都令人厌倦，
人说，说不尽；
眼看，看不饱；
耳听，听不足。
9 已有的事必再有，
作过的事必再作；
日光之下并无新事。
10 有甚么事人可以说：
“看啊！这是新的”？
其实，很久之前已经有了，
在我们之前早就有了。
11 以前的事，无人记念；
将来的事，后来的人也不追忆。
智慧知识都是虚空
12 那时，我传道者在耶路撒冷作以色列的王。 13 我曾用智慧专心寻求查究天下所发生的一切事；原来 神给予世人的，是劳苦的担子，叫他们为此烦恼。 14 我看过日光之下所发生的一切事，不料，一切都是虚空，都是捕风。 15 弯曲的，不能弄直；缺少的，不能数算。 16 我自己心里说：“我得了极大的智慧，胜过所有在我以前统治耶路撒冷的人；我见识了许多智慧与知识。” 17 我又专心究察智慧和知识，狂妄和愚昧，才知道这也是捕风。 18 因为多有智慧，就多有烦恼；加增知识，就加增痛苦。
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