• All Is Vanity

  • 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
  • 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
  • 3 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 earth stands forever.
  • 5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again.
  • 6 Going toward the south, Then circling toward the north, The wind goes 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 continually go.
  • 8 All things are wearisome; Man is not able to speak of it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
  • 9 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 no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will be, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.

  • The Vanity of Wisdom

  • 12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
  • 13 And I gave my heart to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous 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 vanity and striving after wind.
  • 15 What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
  • 16 I spoke within my heart, saying, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my heart has seen an abundance of wisdom and knowledge.”
  • 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and simpleminded folly; I came to know that this also is striving after wind.
  • 18 Because in much wisdom there is much vexation, and whoever increases knowledge increases pain.