Ecclesiastes 1

All Is Vanity

1 The words of the Preacher,t the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2  Vanityt of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3  What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
4  A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.
5  The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastenst to the place where it rises.
6  The wind blows to the south
and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
7  All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
8  All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
9  What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
10  Is there a thing of which it is said,
"See, this is new"?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
11  There is no remembrance of former things,t
nor will there be any remembrance
of later thingst yet to be
among those who come after.

The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.13 And I applied my heartt to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.t

15  What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said in my heart, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18  For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 1

Title

1 The words of the Teacher,ts the sont of David, kings in Jerusalem:ss

Introduction: Utter Futility

2 “Futile! Futile!” lamentst the Teacher,s
“Absolutely futile!t Everythingt is futile!”ts

Futility Illustrated from Nature

3 What benefitt do peoplet get from all the effort
whicht they expends on earth?ts

4 A generation comest and a generation goes,t
but the earth remainst the samet through the ages.t

5 The sun risest and the sun sets;t
it hurries awayt to a place from which it risest again.t

6 The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north;
round and roundt the wind goes and on its rounds it returns.t

7 All the streams flowt into the sea, but the sea is not full,
and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again.ts

8 All thist monotonyt is tiresome; no one can beart to describe it:ts
The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever contentt with hearing.

9 What exists nowt is what will be,t
and what has been done is what will be done;
there is nothing truly new on earth.t

10 Is there anything about which someone can say, “Look at this! It is new!”?t
It was alreadyt done long ago,s before our time.t

11 No one remembers the former events,t
nor will anyone remembert the events that are yet to happen;ts
they will not be remembered by the future generations.ts

Futility of Secular Accomplishment

12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.s

13 I decidedt to carefullyt and thoroughly examinet
all that has been accomplished on earth.ts
I concluded:t God has given peoplet a burdensome taskt
that keeps themt occupied.t

14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by mant on earth,t
and I concluded: Everythingt he has accomplishedt is futilet – like chasing the wind!t

15 What is bentt cannot be straightened,t
and what is missingt cannot be supplied.t

Futility of Secular Wisdom

16 I thought to myself,t
“I have become much wisert than any of my predecessors who ruledt over Jerusalem;s
It have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.”t

17 So I decidedt to discern the benefit oft wisdom and knowledge overt foolish behavior and ideas;t
however, I concludedt that event this endeavort is liket trying to chase the wind!t

18 For with great wisdom comest great frustration;
whoever increases hist knowledge merelyt increases hist heartache.