Ecclesiastes 1

The Futility of All Endeavor

1 The words of the 1Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 "[a]2Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "[b]Vanity of vanities! All is [c]vanity."
3 3What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?
4 A generation goes and a generation comes, But the 4earth [d]remains forever.
5 Also, 5the sun rises and the sun sets; And [e]hastening to its place it rises there again.
6 [f]6Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues [g]swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.
7 All the rivers [h]flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers [i]flow, There they [j]flow again.
8 All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. 7The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
9 8That which * has been is that which will be, And that which * has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing * new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new "? Already it has existed for ages Which were before * us.
11 There is 9no remembrance of [k]earlier things; And also of the [l]later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come [m]later still.

The Futility of Wisdom

12 I, the 10Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I 11set my [n]mind to seek and 12explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is [o]a grievous 13task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is [p]14vanity and striving after wind.
15 What is 15crooked cannot * be straightened and what is lacking cannot * be counted.
16 I [q]said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased 16wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my [r]mind has observed [s]a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."
17 And I 17set my [t]mind to know wisdom and to 18know madness and folly; I realized that this also is 19striving after wind.
18 Because 20in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

Cross References 20

  • 1. Ecclesiastes 1:12; Ecclesiastes 7:27; Ecclesiastes 12:8-10
  • 2. Psalms 39:5, 6; Psalms 62:9; Psalms 144:4; Ecclesiastes 12:8; Romans 8:20
  • 3. Ecclesiastes 2:11; Ecclesiastes 3:9; Ecclesiastes 5:16
  • 4. Psalms 104:5; Psalms 119:90
  • 5. Psalms 19:6
  • 6. Ecclesiastes 11:5; John 3:8
  • 7. Proverbs 27:20; Ecclesiastes 4:8
  • 8. Ecclesiastes 1:10; Ecclesiastes 2:12; Ecclesiastes 3:15; Ecclesiastes 6:10
  • 9. Ecclesiastes 2:16; Ecclesiastes 9:5
  • 10. Ecclesiastes 1:1; Ecclesiastes 7:27; Ecclesiastes 12:8-10
  • 11. Ecclesiastes 1:17
  • 12. Ecclesiastes 3:10, 11; Ecclesiastes 7:25; Ecclesiastes 8:17
  • 13. Ecclesiastes 2:23, 26; Ecclesiastes 3:10; Ecclesiastes 4:8
  • 14. Ecclesiastes 2:11, 17; Ecclesiastes 4:4; Ecclesiastes 6:9
  • 15. Ecclesiastes 7:13
  • 16. 1 Kings 3:12; 1 Kings 4:30; 1 Kings 10:23; Ecclesiastes 2:9
  • 17. Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 7:25
  • 18. Ecclesiastes 2:12; Ecclesiastes 7:25
  • 19. Ecclesiastes 1:14; Ecclesiastes 2:11, 17; Ecclesiastes 4:4, 6, 16; Ecclesiastes 6:9
  • 20. Ecclesiastes 2:23; Ecclesiastes 12:12

Footnotes 20

Ecclesiastes 1 Commentaries

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