Ecclesiastes 1

1 These are the words [of wisdom, teachings] of the Teacher [Preacher], the son [descendant, heir] of David, king [ruler, monarch] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Judah]: word study 2 “Futility [vanity, emptiness] of futilities [transitory and unsatisfactory things],” says the Teacher [Preacher], “futility [vanity, a breath of air] of futilities [all that is fleeting]! Everything [all, the whole] is futile [without lasting purpose, vanity]!” word study 3 What [advantage or profit] does a man [the human being, Adam] gain [acquire or obtain] from all [everything, the entirety] his labor [trouble, hard work, toil], at which [in the midst of, during] he toils [labors, works diligently] under [beneath, in the sphere of] the sun [the celestial body]? word study 4 Generations [a group of people living at the same time] come and generations [a period of time, a group of people] go, but the earth [the land, the material world] remains [stands] forever [always, for eternity]. word study 5 The sun [the sun; the east or the west] rises [to shine, come up] and the sun sets [goes down, declines]; it hurries [with eagerness, hastens] back to where [its original place] it rises [again, to its starting point]. word study 6 The wind [a blast of air] blows southward [toward the south, to the southern direction], then turns [surrounds, whirls] northward [to the north, in a northerly direction]; round and round [continually, in a circular motion] it swirls [turns, whirls], ever returning [coming back, turning back] on its course [path, circuit, as it circulates]. word study 7 All [every single one, the entirety] the rivers [streams, brooks] flow into the sea [a large body of water], yet the sea [the ocean, the deep] is never [not at any time, empty] full [complete, abundant]; to the place [location, region] from which the streams [rivers, waterways] come, there [in that location, at that point] again they flow [return, circulate]. word study 8 All things [everything, the entirety of existence] are wearisome [full of labor, tiresome], more than one can describe [beyond uttering, impossible to express]; the eye [the source of sight, the window to the soul] is not satisfied [cannot be filled, is never content] with seeing [looking, gazing], nor the ear [the organ of hearing, the receiver of sound] content [filled, satisfied] with hearing [listening, perceiving sound]. word study 9 What [that which has existed] has been will be again, and what [everything that has occurred] has been done will be done again; there is nothing [nothing whatsoever, no new thing] new [recently created or renewed] under the sun [the celestial body, symbolizing time and existence]. word study 10 Is there a case [any thing, situation] where one can say [declare, speak], “Look [see, behold], this [thing, matter] is new [fresh, recently created]”? It has already [long ago, previously] existed [been, come into being] in the ages [time, eternity] before us [prior to our existence, in the past]. word study 11 There is [nothing recalled] no remembrance of those who came before [the former, the first], and those yet to come [in the future, later generations] will not be remembered [known, recalled to mind] by those who follow after [the latter, those at the end]. word study 12 I [a preacher], the Teacher [a wisdom keeper], was [existed, came into being] king [a ruler, a monarch] over [upon, in charge of] Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] in [located within, residing at] Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Israel]. word study 13 And I set my mind [to focus my thoughts, to concentrate] to seek [to search out, to investigate] and explore [to spy out, to investigate thoroughly] by wisdom [skill, prudence, good judgment] all that is done [happens, takes place] under heaven [the sky, the universe]. What a heavy burden [sore travail, grievous labor] God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] has laid [given, put] upon the sons of men [humanity, mankind] to occupy them [to be exercised, to be humbled]! word study 14 I have seen [observed, looked upon] all the things [deeds, works] that are done [made, accomplished] under [beneath] the sun [the sun; the east or the west], and have found [discovered, realized] them all to be [utterly, completely] futile [vanity, empty and unsatisfying], a pursuit [striving, longing] of the wind [that which is transitory and elusive]. word study 15 What is [bent, twisted] crooked [perverse, not straight] cannot be [made, caused to be] straightened [made straight, set in order], and what is [deficient] lacking [wanting, missing] cannot be [numbered] counted [weighed out, assigned a value]. word study 16 I said to myself [communed with my own heart], “Behold [look, see], I have grown [magnified, become great] and increased [added, gained] in wisdom [skill, prudence, good judgment] beyond all those before me [who ruled in the past] who were over Jerusalem [the city of peace], and my mind [heart, feelings, will, intellect] has observed [seen, looked after] a wealth [abundance, multitude] of wisdom [prudence, knowledge, insight] and knowledge [understanding, discernment].” word study 17 So I set my mind [to apply my heart, to give my attention] to know [to learn, to understand, to discern] wisdom [skill, prudence, or good judgment] and madness [foolishness, a state of mind lacking wisdom] and folly [foolish or silly behavior]; I learned [I perceived, I came to know] that this [this pursuit, this endeavor], too [also, as well], is a pursuit [a striving, a chasing] of the wind [a vain or futile effort]. word study 18 For with much [abundant, great] wisdom [skill, prudence, or good judgment] comes much [great, abundant] sorrow [vexation, frustration], and as knowledge [understanding, insight] grows [increases, expands], grief [pain, sorrow, mental anguish] increases [adds to, multiplies]. word study