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Ecclesiastes

Questions the meaning of life and the value of worldly pursuits, concluding that fearing God is important.

Chapter 1

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1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

*The words of the teacher, son of David, ruler in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

*"Vanity of vanities," says the teacher, "vanity of vanities"; everything is vanity.

3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

*What good does a person get from all their hard work they do under the sun?

4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

*One group of people goes away, and a new group arrives; however, the Earth stays forever.

5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

*The sun rises and sets quickly, returning to its original spot.

6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

*The wind moves from south to north and back again. It keeps spinning around and follows its usual paths.

7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

*All rivers flow into the sea, but the sea doesn't fill up; water goes back to where the rivers started.

8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

*Everything involves work; people can't fully express it. The eye isn't content with looking and the ear isn't fulfilled by listening.

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.

*What has happened will happen again, and what has been done will be done again. There's nothing truly new in the world.

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.

*Is there anything that can be called new? It has existed for a long time 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.

*People won't remember old events, nor will they remember future events that happen after them.

12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

*I, the teacher, ruled as 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.

*I decided to look for knowledge about everything happening in the world. God has given people a difficult task to figure these things out.

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

*I saw everything done on Earth. It's all meaningless and causes sadness.

15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

*Something uneven can't be made even, and something missing can't be counted.

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.

*I talked to myself, saying, "I have become very successful, and I'm wiser than anyone who has come before me in this city, Jerusalem. My heart has a lot of experience with 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.

*I tried to learn about wisdom and foolishness, and realized that it only causes trouble for the mind.

18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

*Because having a lot of wisdom brings a lot of sadness. And when you learn more, you also feel more sadness.

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* work in progress, there will be mistakes

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