Ecclesiastes 1
- 1
These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: Begin Abide·
- 2
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!” Begin Abide·
- 3
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun? Begin Abide·
- 4
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. Begin Abide·
- 5
The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises. Begin Abide·
- 6
The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course. Begin Abide·
- 7
All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow. Begin Abide·
- 8
All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing. Begin Abide·
- 9
What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Begin Abide·
- 10
Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us. Begin Abide·
- 11
There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after. Begin Abide·
- 12
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. Begin Abide·
- 13
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them! Begin Abide·
- 14
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. Begin Abide·
- 15
What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted. Begin Abide·
- 16
I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” Begin Abide·
- 17
So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind. Begin Abide·
- 18
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases. Begin Abide·