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All Is Vanity

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

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

(C)What advantage does man have in all his labor
In which he labors under the sun?
A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the (D)earth stands forever.
Also, (E)the sun rises and the sun sets;
And [e]hastening to its place it rises there again.
(F)Going toward the south,
Then [f]circling toward the north,
The wind goes [g]circling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
All the rivers go into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers go,
There they [h]continually go.
All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to speak of 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 been for ages
Which were before us.
11 There is (I)no remembrance of [i]earlier things;
And also of the [j]later things which will be,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come [k]later still.

The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I, the (J)Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I (K)gave my heart to seek and (L)explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is [l]a grievous (M)endeavor which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is [m](N)vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is (O)bent cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I spoke within my heart, saying, “Behold, I have magnified and increased (P)wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my heart has seen an abundance of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I (Q)gave my heart to know wisdom and to (R)know madness and simpleminded folly; I came to know that this also is (S)striving after wind. 18 Because (T)in much wisdom there is much vexation, and whoever increases knowledge increases pain.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 1:1 Or speaker of an assembly, leader of an assembly; or possibly the one who gathers an assembly; Heb Qoheleth
  2. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or Futility of futilities
  3. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or Futility of futilities
  4. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or futile
  5. Ecclesiastes 1:5 Lit panting
  6. Ecclesiastes 1:6 Lit turning
  7. Ecclesiastes 1:6 Lit turning
  8. Ecclesiastes 1:7 Lit turn to go
  9. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Lit first, former
  10. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Lit latter, after
  11. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Lit latter, after
  12. Ecclesiastes 1:13 Lit an evil
  13. Ecclesiastes 1:14 Or futility

All Is Vanity

The words of (A)the Preacher,[a] the son of David, (B)king in Jerusalem.

(C)Vanity[b] of vanities, says (D)the Preacher,
    (E)vanity of vanities! (F)All is vanity.
(G)What (H)does man gain by all the toil
    at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
    but (I)the earth remains forever.
(J)The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
    and hastens[c] to the place where it rises.
(K)The wind blows to the south
    and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
    and on its circuits the wind returns.
All (L)streams run to the sea,
    but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
    there they flow again.
All things are full of weariness;
    a man cannot utter it;
(M)the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
    nor the ear filled with hearing.
(N)What has been is what will be,
    and what has been done is what will be done,
    and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
    “See, this is new”?
It has been (O)already
    in the ages before us.
11 There is no (P)remembrance of former things,[d]
    nor will there be any remembrance
of later things[e] yet to be
    among those who come after.

The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I (Q)the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I (R)applied my heart[f] to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy (S)business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is (T)vanity[g] and a striving after wind.[h]

15 (U)What is crooked cannot be made straight,
    and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great (V)wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I (W)applied my heart to know wisdom and to know (X)madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but (Y)a striving after wind.

18 For (Z)in much wisdom is much vexation,
    and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 1:1 Or Convener, or Collector; Hebrew Qoheleth (so throughout Ecclesiastes)
  2. 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
  3. Ecclesiastes 1:5 Or and returns panting
  4. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Or former people
  5. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Or later people
  6. Ecclesiastes 1:13 The Hebrew term denotes the center of one's inner life, including mind, will, and emotions
  7. Ecclesiastes 1:14 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
  8. Ecclesiastes 1:14 Or a feeding on wind; compare Hosea 12:1 (also in Ecclesiastes 1:17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9)