“Vanity of vanities,” saith the Preacher. “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

What profit hath a man from all his labor which he doeth under the sun?

All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven. This sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

I communed with mine own heart, saying, “Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart had great experience in wisdom and knowledge.”

I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine (yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom), and to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for the sons of men, which they should do under heaven all the days of their life.

I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.

I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house. Also I had great possessions of great and small cattle, above all that were in Jerusalem before me.

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments, and those of all sorts.

So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness. And I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

For there is no more remembrance of the wise for ever than of the fool, since all that now is shall be forgotten in the days to come. And how dieth the wise man? As the fool!

Therefore I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me. For all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Yea, I hated all my labor which I had done under the sun, because I must leave it unto the man who shall be after me.

And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I had done under the sun.

For what hath man for all his labor and for the vexation of his heart wherewith he hath labored under the sun?

For all his days are sorrows and his travail grief. Yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor: it is the gift of God.

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other. Yea, they have all one breath, so that man hath no preeminence above a beast, for all is vanity.

All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.