Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. New Living Translation I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. English Standard Version I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. Berean Standard Bible I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. King James Bible I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. New King James Version I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. New American Standard Bible I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind. NASB 1995 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. NASB 1977 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. Legacy Standard Bible I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. Amplified Bible I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind. Christian Standard Bible I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. Holman Christian Standard Bible I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. American Standard Version I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. Aramaic Bible in Plain English I have seen all the work that is done under the sun, and behold, everything is futility and agitation of spirit Brenton Septuagint Translation I beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, beheld, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit. Contemporary English Version I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind. Douay-Rheims Bible I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit. English Revised Version I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. GOD'S WORD® Translation I have seen everything that is done under the sun. Look at it! It's all pointless. [It's like] trying to catch the wind. Good News Translation I have seen everything done in this world, and I tell you, it is all useless. It is like chasing the wind. International Standard Version I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless—like chasing after the wind. JPS Tanakh 1917 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. Literal Standard Version I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit! Majority Standard Bible I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. New American Bible I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind. NET Bible I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile--like chasing the wind! New Revised Standard Version I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. New Heart English Bible I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and look, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. Webster's Bible Translation I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. World English Bible I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. Young's Literal Translation I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit! Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context With Wisdom Comes Sorrow…13And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them! 14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. 15What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.… Cross References Ecclesiastes 1:17 So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:26 To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:4 I saw that all labor and success spring from a man's envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:16 There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. Ecclesiastes 6:9 Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. Treasury of Scripture I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 1:17,18 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit… Ecclesiastes 2:11,17,26 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun… 1 Kings 4:30-32 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt… Jump to Previous Chasing Desire Meaningless Purpose Pursuit Spirit Striving Sun Vanity Vexation Whole Wind WorksJump to Next Chasing Desire Meaningless Purpose Pursuit Spirit Striving Sun Vanity Vexation Whole Wind WorksEcclesiastes 1 1. the preacher shows that all human courses are vain4. because the creatures are restless in their courses 9. they bring forth nothing new, and all old things are forgotten 12. and because he has found it so in the studies of wisdom (14) Vexation.--The word occurs only in this book (Ecclesiastes 2:11; Ecclesiastes 2:17; Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ecclesiastes 4:4; Ecclesiastes 4:6; Ecclesiastes 6:9). The A. V. translation, "vexation of spirit," is difficult to justify. Very nearly the same phrase occurs in Hosea 12:1, and is there translated "feeding on wind," for in Hebrew, as in some other languages, the name for "spirit" primarily denotes breath or wind. Accordingly many interpreters understand the phrase of the text "feeding on wind" (see Isaiah 44:20). The same root, however, which means to "feast on a thing," has the secondary meaning to "delight in a thing," and so the corresponding noun in Chaldee comes to mean "pleasure" or "will." (Comp. Ezra 5:17; Ezra 7:18.) Accordingly the LXX. and many modern interpreters understand the phrase of the text "effort after wind." . . . Verse 14. - Here is the result of this examination of human actions. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun. In his varied experience nothing had escaped his notice. And behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit; reuth ruach; afflictio spiritus (Vulgate); προαίρεσις πνεύματος, "choice of spirit," or, "wind" (Septuagint); νομὴ ἀνέμου (Aquila and Theodotion); βοσκήσις ἀνέμου, "feeding on wind" (Symmachus). This last translation, or "striving after wind," seems to be most agreeable to the etymology of the word רְעוּת, which, except in this book (Ecclesiastes 2:11, 17, 26, etc.), occurs elsewhere only in the Chaldee portion of Ezra (Ezra 5:17; Ezra 7:18). Whichever sense is taken, the import is much the same. What is implied is the unsubstantial and unsatisfying nature of human labors and endeavors. Many compare Hosea 12:2, "Ephraim feedeth on wind," and Isaiah 44:20, "He feedeth on ashes." In contrast, perhaps, to this constantly recurring complaint, the author of the Book of Wisdom teaches that murmuring is unprofitable and blasphemous (Wisd. 1:11). Bailey, in 'Festus,' sings - "Of all life's aims, what's worth the thought we waste on't? Hebrew I have seenרָאִ֙יתִי֙ (rā·’î·ṯî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 7200: To see all כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every the things הַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֔ים (ham·ma·‘ă·śîm) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property that are done שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂ֖וּ (šen·na·‘ă·śū) Pronoun - relative | Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 6213: To do, make under תַּ֣חַת (ta·ḥaṯ) Preposition Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of the sun, הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ (haš·šā·meš) Article | Noun - common singular Strong's 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement and have found וְהִנֵּ֥ה (wə·hin·nêh) Conjunctive waw | Interjection Strong's 2009: Lo! behold! them all הַכֹּ֛ל (hak·kōl) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every to be futile, הֶ֖בֶל (he·ḇel) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory a pursuit וּרְע֥וּת (ū·rə·‘ūṯ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 7469: A feeding upon, grasping after of the wind. רֽוּחַ׃ (rū·aḥ) Noun - common singular Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit Links Ecclesiastes 1:14 NIVEcclesiastes 1:14 NLT Ecclesiastes 1:14 ESV Ecclesiastes 1:14 NASB Ecclesiastes 1:14 KJV Ecclesiastes 1:14 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 1:14 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 1:14 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 1:14 French Bible Ecclesiastes 1:14 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works that (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) |
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