The Vanity of Life
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, Prov. 1:1king in Jerusalem.
2 "VanityPs. 39:5, 6; 62:9; 144:4; Eccl. 12:8 of vanities," says the Preacher;
"Vanity of vanities, (Rom. 8:20, 21)all is vanity."
3 Eccl. 2:22; 3:9What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun?
4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
Ps. 104:5; 119:90But the earth abides forever.
5 Ps. 19:4–6The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And hastens to the place where it arose.
6 Eccl. 11:5; John 3:8The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.
7 (Ps. 104:8, 9; Jer. 5:22)All the rivers run into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.
8 All things are full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
Prov. 27:20; Eccl. 4:8The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Eccl. 3:15That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And thereis nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
"See, this is new"?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
11 ThereisEccl. 2:16no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.
The Grief of Wisdom
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my heart to seek and (Eccl. 7:25; 8:16, 17)search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; Gen. 3:19; Eccl. 3:10this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
15 Eccl. 7:13Whatis crooked cannot be made straight,
And what is lacking cannot be numbered.
16 I communed with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained 1 Kin. 3:12, 13; Eccl. 2:9more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge." 17 Eccl. 2:3, 12; 7:23, 25; (1 Thess. 5:21)And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
18 For Eccl. 12:12in much wisdom is much grief,
And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.