Ecclesiastes 1

Everything Is Futile

¹The words of the Teacher, ^a,^b son of David, king in Jerusalem. ^c

²“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.

“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.” ^d

³What does a person gain for all his efforts

that he labors at under the sun? ^e

⁴A generation goes and a generation comes,

but the earth remains forever. ^f

⁵The sun rises and the sun sets;

panting, it hurries back to the place ^g

where it rises.

⁶Gusting to the south,

turning to the north,

turning, turning, goes the wind, ^h

and the wind returns in its cycles.

⁷All the streams flow to the sea,

yet the sea is never full;

to the place where the streams flow,

there they flow again.

⁸All things ⁱ are wearisome,

more than anyone can say.

The eye is not satisfied by seeing ^j

or the ear filled with hearing.

⁹What has been is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done;

there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰Can one say about anything,

“Look, this is new”?

It has already existed in the ages before us.

¹¹There is no remembrance of those who ^k came before; ^l

and of those who will come after

there will also be no remembrance

by those who follow them.

The Limitations of Wisdom

¹²I, the Teacher, ^m have been ⁿ king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³I applied my mind to examine ^o and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. ^p God has given people ^q this miserable task to keep them occupied. ^{r 14}I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. ^s,^t

¹⁵What is crooked cannot be straightened; ^u

what is lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶I said to myself, “See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, ^v and my mind has thoroughly grasped ^w wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, ^x madness and folly; ^y I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind. ^z

¹⁸For with much wisdom is much sorrow; ^aa

as knowledge increases, grief increases.