Ecclesiastes 1

The Futility of All Endeavor

1The words of the 1Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.2“23Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “4Vanity of vanities! All is 5vanity.”

36What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?4A generation goes and a generation comes, But the 7earth 8remains forever.5Also, 9the sun rises and the sun sets; And 10hastening to its place it rises there again.61112Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues 13swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.7All the rivers 14flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers 15flow, There they 16flow again.8All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. 17The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.918That 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.10Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us.11There is 19no remembrance of 20earlier things; And also of the 21later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come 22later still.

The Futility of Wisdom

12I, the 23Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13And I 24set my 25mind to seek and 26explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is 27a grievous 28task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. 14I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is 2930vanity and striving after wind. 15What is 31crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16I 32said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased 33wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my 34mind has observed 35a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” 17And I 36set my 37mind to know wisdom and to 38know madness and folly; I realized that this also is 39striving after wind. 18Because 40in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.