Dual Panel1The words <01697> of the Teacher <06953>, the son <01121> of David <01732>, king <04428> in Jerusalem <03389>:
2“Futile <01892>! Futile <01892>!” laments <0559> the Teacher <06953>, “Absolutely <01892> futile <01892>! Everything <03605> is futile <01892>!”
3What <04100> benefit <03504> do people <0120> get from all <03605> the effort <05999> which they expend <05998> on <08478> earth <08121>?
4A generation <01755> comes <0935> and a generation <01755> goes <01980>, but the earth <0776> remains <05975> the same through the ages <05769>.
5The sun <08121> rises <02224> and the sun <08121> sets <0935>; it hurries away <07602> to <0413> a place <04725> from which it rises <02224> again.
6The wind goes <01980> to <0413> the south <01864> and circles around <05437> to <0413> the north <06828>; round <05437> and round <05437> the wind <07307> goes <01980> and on <05921> its rounds <05439> it returns <07725>.
7All <03605> the streams <05158> flow <01980> into <0413> the sea <03220>, but the sea <03220> is not <0369> full <04392>, and to <0413> the place <04725> where the streams <05158> flow <01980>, there <08033> they <01992> will flow <01980> again <07725>.
8All <03605> this monotony <01697> is tiresome <03023>; no <03808> one <0376> can bear <03201> to describe <01696> it: The eye is never <03808> satisfied <07646> with seeing <07200>, nor <03808> is the ear ever <0241> content <04390> with hearing <08085>.
9What <04100> exists <01961> now is what will be <01961>, and what <04100> has been done <06213> is what will be done <06213>; there is nothing <0369> truly new <02319> on earth <08121> <08478>.
10Is <03426> there anything <01697> about which someone can say <0559>, “Look <07200> at this <02088>! It is new <02319>!”? It <01931> was <01961> already <03528> done <01961> long ago <05769>, before <06440> our time.
11No one <0369> remembers <02146> the former events <07223>, nor <01571> will anyone remember the events that are yet to happen <0314>; they <01992> will <01961> not <03808> be <01961> remembered <02146> by <05973> the future generations <0314> <01961>.
12I <0589>, the Teacher <06953>, have been <01961> king <04428> over <05921> Israel <03478> in Jerusalem <03389>.
13I decided <03820> <05414> to carefully <02451> and thoroughly examine <08446> <01875> all <03605> that <0834> has been accomplished <06213> on earth <08064> <08478>. I concluded: God <0430> has given <05414> people <0120> <01121> a burdensome <07451> task <06045> that keeps them occupied <06031>.
14I reflected <07200> on everything <03605> that is accomplished <06213> <04639> by man on earth <08121> <08478>, and I concluded <02009>: Everything <03605> he has accomplished is futile <01892>– like chasing <07469> the wind <07307>!
15What is bent <05791> cannot <03201> <03808> be straightened <08626>, and what is missing <02642> cannot <03201> <03808> be supplied <04487>.
16I <0589> thought <01696> to <05973> myself <0559> <03820>, “I <0589> have become much <01431> wiser <02451> <03254> than any <03605> of my predecessors <06440> who <0834> ruled <01961> over <05921> Jerusalem <03389>; I <03820> have acquired <07200> much <07235> wisdom <02451> and knowledge <01847>.”
17So I decided <03820> <05414> to discern <03045> the benefit of wisdom <02451> and knowledge <03045> over foolish <05531> behavior and ideas <01947>; however, I concluded <03045> that even <01571> this <02088> endeavor is like trying to chase <07475> the wind <07307>!
18For <03588> with great <07230> wisdom <02451> comes great <07227> frustration <03708>; whoever increases <03254> his knowledge <01847> merely increases <03254> his heartache <04341>.