Hi Iamhe,
Hmm...I think it depends on you. If any version makes you feel "aha!", that's the right one for you.
I used to try to compare which versions myself. So I'll post it here. Hope this might help.
Ecclesiastes 1
King James Version: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.
New International Version (NIV):14. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
Common English Bible (CEB):14. When I observed all that happens under the sun, I realized that everything is pointless, a chasing after wind.
15. What’s crooked can’t be straightened; what isn’t there can’t be counted.
Contemporary English Version (CEV):14. I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind.
15. If something is crooked, it can’t be made straight; if something isn’t there, it can’t be counted.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV):14. I looked at everything done on earth, and I saw that it is all a waste of time. It is like trying to catch the wind.
15. If something is crooked, you cannot say it is straight. And if something is missing, you cannot say it is there.
Good News Translation (GNT):14. I have seen everything done in this world, and I tell you, it is all useless. It is like chasing the wind.
15. You can't straighten out what is crooked; you can't count things that aren't there.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT):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.
New English Translation (NET Bible):14. I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile—like chasing the wind!
15. What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied.
P.S. Anyway, try not to chose some versions that might be some additional words (free translation) as the example below:
I discovered that the lot of man
, which God has dealt to him, is not a happy one. It is all
foolishness, chasing the wind.
What is wrong cannot be righted;
it is water over the dam; and there is no use
thinking of what might have been.
