Old/New Testament
All Is Vanity
1 The words of the [a](A)Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
3 (C)What advantage does man have in all his labor
In which he labors under the sun?
4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the (D)earth stands forever.
5 Also, (E)the sun rises and the sun sets;
And [e]hastening to its place it rises there again.
6 (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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 (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.
The Vanity of Pleasure and Possessions
2 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with (U)gladness, so that you shall see good things.” And behold, it too was vanity. 2 (V)I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of gladness, “What does it do?” 3 I explored with my heart how to [n](W)stimulate my [o]body with wine—while my heart was guiding me wisely—and how to seize (X)simpleminded folly, until I could see (Y)where is this good for the sons of men in what they do under heaven the few days of their lives. 4 I made my works great: I (Z)built houses for myself; I planted (AA)vineyards for myself; 5 I made for myself (AB)gardens and (AC)parks, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made for myself (AD)pools of water from which to water a forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and I had [p](AE)homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and (AF)herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8 Also, I collected for myself silver and (AG)gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself (AH)male and female singers and the pleasures of the sons of men—many concubines.
9 Then I became (AI)great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 (AJ)All that my eyes asked for I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any gladness, for my heart was glad because of all my labor, and this was my (AK)reward for all my labor. 11 Thus I turned to all my works which my hands had done and the labor which I had labored to do, and behold, all was [q](AL)vanity and striving after wind, and there was (AM)no advantage under the sun.
Wisdom Excels Folly
12 So I turned to (AN)see wisdom, madness, and simpleminded folly. What will the man do who will come after the king except (AO)what has already been done? 13 And I saw that there is an advantage in (AP)wisdom over simpleminded folly as light has an advantage over darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the (AQ)fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that the (AR)fate of one becomes the fate of all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “(AS)As is the fate of the fool, so will my fate be also. (AT)Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said in my heart, “This too is vanity.” 16 For there is (AU)no remembrance of the wise man along with the fool forever, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And (AV)how the wise man dies with the fool! 17 So I (AW)hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was [r]grievous to me; because everything is vanity and striving after wind.
The Vanity of Labor
18 Thus I hated (AX)all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must (AY)leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or (AZ)a man of simpleminded folly? Yet he will have [s]power over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored and for which I have acted wisely under the sun. This too is (BA)vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart to despair of all my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and (BB)skill, then he (BC)gives his portion to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what does a man get in (BD)all his labor and in the striving of his heart with which he labors under the sun? 23 Because all his days his endeavor is painful and (BE)vexing; even at night his heart (BF)does not lie down. This too is vanity.
24 [t]There is (BG)nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and have his soul see good in his labor. This also I have seen that it is (BH)from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of [u]Him? 26 For to a man who is good before Him, (BI)He has given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, while to the sinner He has given the endeavor of gathering and collecting so that he may (BJ)give to one who is good before God. This too is (BK)vanity and striving after wind.
A Time for Everything
3 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a (BL)time for every [v]matter under heaven—
2 A time to give birth and a (BM)time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3 A (BN)time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to (BO)weep and a time to (BP)laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to (BQ)dance.
5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6 A time to search and a time to lose;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to (BR)be silent and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to (BS)hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
9 (BT)What advantage is there to the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the (BU)endeavor which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.
God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man
11 He has (BV)made everything [w]beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, [x]yet so that man (BW)will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 I know that [y]there is (BX)nothing better for them than to be glad and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor—it is the (BY)gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will be forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it—God has so worked that men should [z](BZ)fear Him. 15 That (CA)which is has been already and that which will be has already been, yet God seeks what is pursued.
16 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is (CB)wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, “(CC)God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a (CD)time for every [aa]matter and for every work is there. 18 I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are but (CE)beasts.” 19 (CF)For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same fate for each of them. As one dies so dies the other, and they all have the same breath. So there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is [ab]vanity. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the (CG)dust, and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the (CH)breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that (CI)nothing is better than that man should be glad in his works, for that is his portion. For who will bring him to see (CJ)what will occur after him?
16 (A)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. 17 What I am saying, I am not saying [a](B)according to the Lord, but as (C)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since (D)many boast (E)according to the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you, (F)being so wise, are bearing the foolish gladly. 20 For you bear it if anyone (G)enslaves you, anyone (H)devours you, anyone (I)takes advantage of you, anyone (J)exalts himself, anyone (K)hits you in the face. 21 To my (L)shame I must say that we have been (M)weak by comparison.
But in whatever respect anyone else (N)is daring—I (O)speak in foolishness—I am just as daring myself. 22 Are they (P)Hebrews? (Q)So am I. Are they (R)Israelites? (S)So am I. Are they Abraham’s (T)seed? (U)So am I. 23 Are they (V)ministers of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in [b](W)far more labors, in [c](X)far more imprisonments, in (Y)beatings without number, in frequent (Z)danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews (AA)forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was (AB)beaten with rods, once I was (AC)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked—a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my (AD)countrymen, dangers from the (AE)Gentiles, dangers in the (AF)city, dangers in the desolate places, dangers on the sea, dangers among (AG)false brothers. 27 I have been in (AH)labor and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in (AI)starvation and thirst, often (AJ)hungry, in cold and [d](AK)without enough clothing. 28 Apart from such [e]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for (AL)all the churches. 29 Who is (AM)weak without my being weak? Who is made to stumble [f]without my burning concern?
30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my (AN)weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, (AO)He who is blessed forever, (AP)knows that I am not lying. 32 In (AQ)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was (AR)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket (AS)through a window [g]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
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