Ecclesiastes 1:2

English Standard Version

²^(A)Vanity^[a] of vanities, says ^(B)the Preacher,
^(C)vanity of vanities! ^(D)All is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 The Hebrew term hebel, translated vanity or vain, refers concretely to a “mist,” “vapor,” or “mere breath,” and metaphorically to something that is fleeting or elusive (with different nuances depending on the context). It appears five times in this verse and in 29 other verses in Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:2

New International Version

²“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”^(A)

⁸^(A)Vanity^[a] of vanities, says ^(B)the Preacher; all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (three times in this verse); see note on 1:2

⁸“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.^[a]^(A)
“Everything is meaningless!^(B)”

English Standard Version (ESV)

New International Version (NIV)