Ecclesiastes 1:13-15 in English

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

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

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.

¹⁴ I beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, behold, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.

¹⁴ I *saw all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, *saw, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

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

¹³ By being wise, I concentrated on understanding everything that was being done on the earth MTY. But I found out that God causes all of us to experience things that cause us to be unhappy/miserable.

¹⁴ It seems that nothing that happens on the earth really enables us to do anything useful. It is like MET chasing the wind.

¹⁵ Many things that are crooked cannot be caused to become straight; we cannot count things that do not exist.

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.

¹⁴ I *saw all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, *saw, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.

¹³ I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹³ I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹³ I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹³ And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

¹⁵ That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

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

¹³ And I proposed in my mind to seek and search out wisely concerning all things that are done under the sun. This painful occupation hath God given to the children of men, to be exercised therein.

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

¹⁵ The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.

¹³ I decided to focus my mind to explore, using wisdom, everything that happens here on earth. This is a tough assignment that God has given people to keep them busy!

¹⁴ I examined everything people do here on earth, and discovered that it's all so temporary—trying to understand it is like trying to pin down the wind!

¹⁵ You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.

¹³ And I haue giuen mine heart to search and finde out wisdome by all things that are done vnder the heauen: (this sore trauaile hath GOD giuen to the sonnes of men, to humble them thereby)

¹⁴ I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the sunne, and beholde, all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked, can none make straight: and that which faileth, cannot be nombred.

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

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

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.

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

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

¹³ And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves therewith.

¹⁴ I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.

¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek out And examine by wisdom concerning all things That are done under heaven, For God has given to the sons of men An evil trouble To be troubled therewith.

¹⁴ I beheld all the works That were wrought under the sun; And, behold, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: And deficiency cannot be numbered.

¹³ And I gave my mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.

¹⁴ I saw all the things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after wind.

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

¹³ I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.

¹⁴ I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.

¹⁵ The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!

¹³ I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹³ I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹³ And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.

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

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

¹³ I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹³ I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹³ and I purposed in my soul to seek and ensearch wisely of all things, that be made under the sun. God gave this evil occupation to the sons of men, that they should be occupied therein.

¹⁴ I saw all things that be made under the sun, and lo! all things be vanity and torment of spirit.

¹⁵ Wayward men be amended of hard; and the number of fools is great without end.

¹³ and I purposed in my soul to seek and ensearch wisely of all things, that be made under the sun. God gave this evil occupation to the sons of men, that they should be occupied therein. (and I purposed in my mind to wisely seek out and to search into everything, that is done under the sun. God gave this difficult task to the sons and daughters of men, so that they would be occupied with it.)

¹⁴ I saw all things that be made under the sun, and lo! all things be vanity and torment of spirit. (I saw everything that is done under the sun, and behold! everything is empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)

¹⁵ Wayward men be amended of hard; and the number of fools is great without end. (The wayward can only be corrected with great difficulty; and the number of fools cannot be counted.)

¹³ And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It is a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit!

¹⁵ A crooked thing one is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.