Study Desk

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

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

"Futility of futilities," says the Preacher, "Futility of futilities! All is futility."

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

What advantage does a person have in all his work Which he does under the sun?

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hurrying to its place it rises there again.

The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.

The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

All things are wearisome; No one can tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

What has been, it is what will be, And what has been done, it is what will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new"? It has already existed for ages Which were before us.

Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

There is no remembrance of the earlier things, And of the later things as well, which will occur, There will be no remembrance of them Among those who will come later still.

There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven. It is a sorry task with which God has given the sons of mankind to be troubled.

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know insanity and foolishness; I realized that this also is striving after wind.

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Because in much wisdom there is much grief; and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.