Add parallel Print Page Options

Reflections of a Royal Philosopher

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

Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
    vanity of vanities! All is vanity.(B)
What do people gain from all the toil
    at which they toil under the sun?(C)
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
    but the earth remains forever.(D)
The sun rises, and the sun goes down
    and hurries to the place where it rises.(E)
The wind blows to the south
    and goes around to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
    and on its circuits the wind returns.(F)
All streams run to the sea,
    but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
    there they continue to flow.
All things[a] are wearisome,
    more than one can express;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing
    or the ear filled with hearing.(G)
What has been is what will be,
    and what has been done is what will be done;
    there is nothing new under the sun.(H)
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
    “See, this is new”?
It has already been
    in the ages before us.
11 The people of long ago are not remembered,
    nor will there be any remembrance
of people yet to come
    by those who come after them.

The Futility of Seeking Wisdom

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to humans to be busy with.(I) 14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun, and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.(J)

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

16 I said to myself, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”(L) 17 And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind.(M)

18 For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.(N)

Footnotes

  1. 1.8 Or words

The Theme

The words of the Teacher,[a] the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

“Utterly pointless,”[b]
        says the Teacher.
“Absolutely pointless;
    everything is pointless.”
What does a man gain
    from all of the work that he undertakes on earth?[c]

The Predictability of Life

A generation goes,
    a generation comes,
        but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises,
    the sun sets,
        then rushes back to where it arose.
The wind blows southward,
    then northward, constantly circulating,
        and the wind comes back again in its courses.
All the rivers flow toward the sea,
    but the sea is never full;
        then rivers return to the headwaters[d] where they began.

Everything is wearisome,
    more than man is able to express.
The eye is never satisfied by seeing,
    nor the ear by hearing.
Whatever has happened, will happen again;
    whatever has been done, will be done again.
        There is nothing new on earth.
10 Does anything exist about which someone might say,
    “Look at this! Is this new?”
It happened ages ago;
    it existed before we did.
11 No one remembers those in the past,
    nor will they be remembered
        by those who come after them.

A Testimony to an Unwise Search

12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I dedicated myself to using wisdom for study and discovery of everything that is done under heaven.[e] God uses terrible things so human beings will struggle with life.[f] 14 I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless—like chasing after the wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be made straight;
    what is not there cannot be counted.

16 I told myself, “I have become greater and wiser than anyone who ruled before me in Jerusalem—yes, I have acquired a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 So I dedicated myself to learn about wisdom and knowledge, and about insanity and foolishness. And I discovered that this is also like chasing after the wind.

18 For with much wisdom there is much sorrow;
    the more someone adds to knowledge,
        the more someone adds to grief.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 1:1 Or Speaker, Or Philosopher, and so throughout the book
  2. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Or Utter vanity; and so throughout the book
  3. Ecclesiastes 1:3 Lit. under the sun; i.e. from an earthly perspective; and so throughout the book
  4. Ecclesiastes 1:7 Lit. place
  5. Ecclesiastes 1:13 I.e. from a heavenly perspective
  6. Ecclesiastes 1:13 The Heb. lacks with life