Ecclesiastes 1

1 These are the words of the Teacher, a son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 The Teacher says, “Useless! Useless!
Completely useless! Everything is useless.”

3 What do people really gain from all the hard work they do here on earth?

Things Never Change

4 People live, and people die, but the earth continues forever.

5 The sun rises, the sun sets, and then it hurries back to where it rises again.

6 The wind blows to the south; it blows to the north.
It blows from one direction and then another. Then it turns around and repeats the same pattern, going nowhere.

7 All the rivers flow to the sea, but the sea never becomes full.

8 Everything is boring, so boring that you don’t even want to talk about it.
Words come again and again to our ears, but we never hear enough, nor can we ever really see all we want to see.

9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. What has happened will happen again; there is nothing new here on earth.

10 Someone might say, “Look, this is new,”
but really it has always been here. It was here before we were.

11 People don’t remember what happened long ago, and in the future people will not remember what happens now. Even later, other people will not remember what was done before them.

Does Wisdom Bring Happiness?

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.13 I decided to use my wisdom to learn about everything that happens on earth. I learned that God has given us terrible things to face.

14 I looked at everything done on earth and saw that it is all useless, like chasing the wind.

15 If something is crooked, you can’t make it straight.
If something is missing, you can’t say it is there.
16 I said to myself, “I have become very wise and am now wiser than anyone who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are.”

17 So I decided to find out about wisdom and knowledge and also about foolish thinking, but this turned out to be like chasing the wind.
18 With much wisdom comes much disappointment; the person who gains more knowledge also gains more 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.