The Futility of All Endeavor

The words of the (A)Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

[a](B)Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
[b]Vanity of vanities! All is [c]vanity.”

(C)What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?
A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the (D)earth [d]remains forever.
Also, (E)the sun rises and the sun sets;
And [e]hastening to its place it rises there again.
[f](F)Blowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues [g]swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
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.
All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
(G)The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
(H)That 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 (I)no 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 (J)Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I (K)set my [n]mind to seek and (L)explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is [o]a grievous (M)task 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](N)vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is (O)crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I [q]said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased (P)wisdom 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 (Q)set my [t]mind to know wisdom and to (R)know madness and folly; I realized that this also is (S)striving after wind. 18 Because (T)in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or Futility of futilities
  2. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or Futility of futilities
  3. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or futile
  4. Ecclesiastes 1:4 Lit stands
  5. Ecclesiastes 1:5 Lit panting
  6. Ecclesiastes 1:6 Lit Going
  7. Ecclesiastes 1:6 Lit turning
  8. Ecclesiastes 1:7 Lit go
  9. Ecclesiastes 1:7 Lit go
  10. Ecclesiastes 1:7 Lit go
  11. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Lit first or former
  12. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Lit latter or after
  13. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Lit latter or after
  14. Ecclesiastes 1:13 Lit heart
  15. Ecclesiastes 1:13 Lit an evil
  16. Ecclesiastes 1:14 Or futility
  17. Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit spoke with my heart, saying
  18. Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit heart
  19. Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit an abundance
  20. Ecclesiastes 1:17 Lit heart

The Vanity of Life

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, (A)king in Jerusalem.

“Vanity(B)[a] of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, (C)all is vanity.”

(D)What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he [b]toils under the sun?
One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
(E)But the earth abides forever.
(F)The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And [c]hastens to the place where it arose.
(G)The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.
(H)All the rivers run into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.
All things are [d]full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
(I)The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing.

(J)That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
11 There is (K)no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.

The Grief of Wisdom

12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my heart to seek and (L)search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; (M)this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be [e]exercised. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

15 (N)What is crooked cannot be made straight,
And what is lacking cannot be numbered.

16 I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained (O)more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has [f]understood great wisdom and knowledge.” 17 (P)And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.

18 For (Q)in much wisdom is much grief,
And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or Absurdity, Frustration, Futility, Nonsense; and so throughout the book
  2. Ecclesiastes 1:3 labors
  3. Ecclesiastes 1:5 Is eager for, lit. panting
  4. Ecclesiastes 1:8 wearisome
  5. Ecclesiastes 1:13 Or afflicted
  6. Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit. seen