Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, May 18th, 2025
the Fifth Sunday after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Ecclesiastes 1:14

I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Instruction;   Investigation;   Science;   Works;   Thompson Chain Reference - Business Life;   Capital and Labour;   Fruitless Labour;   Labour;   Toil;   Worldly;   The Topic Concordance - Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Vanity;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Spirit;   Wind;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Winter ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Astrology;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 2;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
Hebrew Names Version
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
King James Version
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
English Standard Version
I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
New American Standard Bible
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind.
New Century Version
I looked at everything done on earth and saw that it is all useless, like chasing the wind.
Amplified Bible
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.
World English Bible
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the sunne, and beholde, all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.
Legacy Standard Bible
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
I have seen all the activities that are done under the sun, and it's all pointless, feeding on wind.
Darby Translation
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
Easy-to-Read Version
I looked at everything done on earth, and I saw that it is all a waste of time. It is like trying to catch the wind.
George Lamsa Translation
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Good News Translation
I have seen everything done in this world, and I tell you, it is all useless. It is like chasing the wind.
Lexham English Bible
I saw all the works that are done under the sun. Look! Everything is vanity and chasing wind.
Literal Translation
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and striving after wind!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus I haue considered all the thinges that come to passe vnder the Sone, & lo, they are all but vanite & vexacion of mynde.
American Standard Version
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Bible in Basic English
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
King James Version (1611)
I haue seene all the workes that are done vnder the Sunne, and behold, all is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thus haue I considered all these thynges that come to passe vnder the sunne: and lo, they are all but vanitie and vexation of mynde.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, beheld, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
English Revised Version
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
Update Bible Version
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, look, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Webster's Bible Translation
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
New English Translation
I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile—like chasing the wind!
New King James Version
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
New Living Translation
I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
New Life Bible
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun. And see, it is all for nothing. It is like trying to catch the wind.
New Revised Standard
I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I saw all the works which were done under the sun, - and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
Douay-Rheims Bible
I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
Revised Standard Version
I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Young's Literal Translation
I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

Contextual Overview

12 I said these things when I lived in Jerusalem as king of Israel. 13 With all my wisdom I tried to understand everything that happens here on earth. And God has made this so hard for us humans to do. 14 I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind. 15 If something is crooked, it can't be made straight; if something isn't there, it can't be counted. 16 I said to myself, "You are by far the wisest person who has ever lived in Jerusalem. You are eager to learn, and you have learned a lot." 17 Then I decided to find out all I could about wisdom and foolishness. Soon I realized that this too was as senseless as chasing the wind. 18 The more you know, the more you hurt; the more you understand, the more you suffer.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:17, Ecclesiastes 1:18, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:17, Ecclesiastes 2:26, 1 Kings 4:30-32, Psalms 39:5, Psalms 39:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - cursed Genesis 42:38 - bring Esther 5:13 - Yet all this Job 7:3 - months of Psalms 78:33 - years Psalms 127:2 - vain Psalms 144:4 - Man Ecclesiastes 2:15 - Then I Ecclesiastes 3:10 - General Ecclesiastes 4:3 - who Ecclesiastes 4:4 - This is Ecclesiastes 4:16 - this Ecclesiastes 6:9 - this Ecclesiastes 8:9 - this Ecclesiastes 11:10 - for Ecclesiastes 12:8 - General Jeremiah 2:13 - broken cisterns Matthew 11:28 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:2
The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water.
Genesis 1:3

The First Day

God said, "I command light to shine!" And light started shining.
Genesis 1:4
God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light from darkness
Genesis 1:6

The Second Day

God said, "I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it."
Genesis 1:7
And that's what happened. God made the dome
Genesis 1:8
and named it "Sky." Evening came and then morning—that was the second day.
Genesis 1:9

The Third Day

God said, "I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground." And that's what happened.
Genesis 1:12
The earth produced all kinds of vegetation. God looked at what he had done, and it was good.
Genesis 1:14

The Fourth Day

God said, "I command lights to appear in the sky and to separate day from night and to show the time for seasons, special days, and years.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun,.... All things done by the Lord, that were on the earth, and in it, and in the sea; he considered them, and endeavoured to search into the nature of them; and did attain to a very great knowledge of them, so that he could speak of them to the instruction of others; see 1 Kings 4:33; and all that were done by men, by their head, or by their hands; all that were written or wrought by them; all their philosophical works and experiments, and all their mechanic operations; as well as all their good and bad works, in a moral sense; so the Targum,

"I saw all the deeds of the children of men, which are done under the sun in this world;''

and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit; not only the things known, but the knowledge of them; it is mere vanity, there is nothing solid and substantial in it, or that can make a man happy; yea, on the contrary, it is vexatious and distressing; it is not only a weariness to the flesh to obtain it, but, in the reflection of it, gives pain and uneasiness to the mind: it is a "breaking of the spirit" n of the man, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Alshech, interpret the phrase; it wastes and consumes his spirit, as well as his time, and all to no purpose; it is, as some ancient Greek versions and others render it, and not amiss, a "feeding on wind" o; what is useless and unprofitable, and like labouring for that; see Hosea 12:1 Ecclesiastes 5:16; and so Aben Ezra.

n רעות רוח "affiictio spiritus", V. L. Junius Tremellius "contritio spiritus", so some in Vatablus. o νομη ανεμου, Aquila; "pastio venti", Mercerus, Piscator, Gejerus, Amama.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Vexation of spirit - A phrase which occurs 7 times, and may be otherwise translated, “feeding on wind.” Modern Hebrew grammarians assert that the word rendered “vexation” must be derived from a root signifying “to feed,” “follow,” “strive after.” This being admitted, it remains to choose between two translations:

(1) “striving after wind,” or “windy effort;” adopted by the Septuagint and the majority of modern interpreters; or

(2) feeding on wind. Compare Hosea 12:1 : and similar phrases in Proverbs 15:14; Isaiah 44:20; Psalms 37:3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. Behold, all is vanity — After all these discussions and experiments, when even the results have been the most successful, I have found only rational satisfaction; but not that supreme good by which alone the soul can be made happy.

O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane!

"How anxious are our cares, and yet how vain

The bent of our desires!"

PERS. Sat. i., v. 1.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile