All Is Vanity
The words of the aPreacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “aVanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
3 aWhat advantage does man have in all his labor
In which he labors under the sun?
4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the aearth stands forever.
5 Also, athe sun rises and the sun sets;
And hastening to its place it rises there again.
6 aGoing toward the south,
Then circling toward the north,
The wind goes circling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
7 All the rivers go into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers go,
There they continually go.
8 All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to speak of it.
aThe eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
9 aThat which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has been for ages
Which were before us.
11 There is ano remembrance of earlier things;
And also of the later things which will be,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come later still.
The Vanity of Wisdom
12 I, the aPreacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I agave my heart to seek and bexplore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous cendeavor which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is avanity and striving after wind. 15 What is abent cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I spoke within my heart, saying, “Behold, I have magnified and increased awisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my heart has seen an abundance of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I agave my heart to know wisdom and to bknow madness and simpleminded folly; I came to know that this also is cstriving after wind. 18 Because ain much wisdom there is much vexation, and whoever increases knowledge increases pain.
The Vanity of Pleasure and Possessions
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with agladness, so that you shall see good things.” And behold, it too was vanity. 2 aI said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of gladness, “What does it do?” 3 I explored with my heart how to astimulate my body with wine—while my heart was guiding me wisely—and how to seize bsimpleminded folly, until I could see cwhere is this good for the sons of men in what they do under heaven the few days of their lives. 4 I made my works great: I abuilt houses for myself; I planted bvineyards for myself; 5 I made for myself agardens and bparks, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made for myself apools of water from which to water a forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and I had ahomeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and bherds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8 Also, I collected for myself silver and agold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself bmale and female singers and the pleasures of the sons of men—many concubines.
9 Then I became agreat and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 aAll that my eyes asked for I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any gladness, for my heart was glad because of all my labor, and this was my breward for all my labor. 11 Thus I turned to all my works which my hands had done and the labor which I had labored to do, and behold, all was avanity and striving after wind, and there was bno advantage under the sun.
Wisdom Excels Folly
12 So I turned to asee wisdom, madness, and simpleminded folly. What will the man do who will come after the king except bwhat has already been done? 13 And I saw that there is an advantage in awisdom over simpleminded folly as light has an advantage over darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the afool walks in darkness. And yet I know that the bfate of one becomes the fate of all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “aAs is the fate of the fool, so will my fate be also. bWhy then have I been extremely wise?” So I said in my heart, “This too is vanity.” 16 For there is ano remembrance of the wise man along with the fool forever, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And bhow the wise man dies with the fool! 17 So I ahated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is vanity and striving after wind.
The Vanity of Labor
18 Thus I hated aall the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must bleave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or aa man of simpleminded folly? Yet he will have power over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored and for which I have acted wisely under the sun. This too is bvanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart to despair of all my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and askill, then he bgives his portion to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what does a man get in aall his labor and in the striving of his heart with which he labors under the sun? 23 Because all his days his endeavor is painful and avexing; even at night his heart bdoes not lie down. This too is vanity.
24 There is anothing better for a man than to eat and drink and have his soul see good in his labor. This also I have seen that it is bfrom the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of Him? 26 For to a man who is good before Him, aHe has given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, while to the sinner He has given the endeavor of gathering and collecting so that he may bgive to one who is good before God. This too is cvanity and striving after wind.
A Time for Everything
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a atime for every matter under heaven—
2 A time to give birth and a atime to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3 A atime to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to aweep and a time to blaugh;
A time to mourn and a time to cdance.
5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6 A time to search and a time to lose;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to abe silent and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to ahate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
9 aWhat advantage is there to the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the aendeavor which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.
God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man
11 He has amade everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man bwill not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 I know that there is anothing better for them than to be glad and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor—it is the agift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will be forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it—God has so worked that men should afear Him. 15 That awhich is has been already and that which will be has already been, yet God seeks what is pursued.
16 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is awickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, “aGod will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a btime for every matter and for every work is there. 18 I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are but abeasts.” 19 aFor the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same fate for each of them. As one dies so dies the other, and they all have the same breath. So there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the adust, and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the abreath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that anothing is better than that man should be glad in his works, for that is his portion. For who will bring him to see bwhat will occur after him?
The Tears of the Oppressed
Then I looked again at all the acts of aoppression which were being done under the sun. And behold, I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had bno one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. 2 So aI lauded the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. 3 But abetter off than both of them is the one who never has been, who has never seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
4 I have seen that every labor and every asuccess of the work is the result of jealousy between a man and his neighbor. This too is bvanity and striving after wind. 5 The fool afolds his hands in embrace and bconsumes his own flesh. 6 One hand full of rest is abetter than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.
7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. 8 There was a certain man without a second man, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, ahis eyes were not satisfied with riches—“And bfor whom am I laboring and depriving myself of good?” This too is vanity, and it is a cgrievous endeavor.
9 Two are better than one because they have good wages for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not a second one to lift him up. 11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but ahow can one be warm alone? 12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can stand against him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
13 A apoor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive warning. 14 For he has come aout of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. 15 I have seen all the living who walk about under the sun go along with the second lad who stands in place of him. 16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be glad with him, for this too is avanity and striving after wind.
Fear God
aGuard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the bsacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. 2 Do not be ahasty with your mouth or impulsive in your heart to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven but you are on the earth; therefore let your bwords be few. 3 For the dream comes through abundant endeavor and the voice of a afool through abundant words.
4 When you amake a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. bPay what you vow! 5 It is abetter that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a amistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and wreak destruction on the work of your hands? 7 For in many dreams and vanities are many words. Rather, afear God.
The Vanity of Riches
8 If you see aoppression of the poor and brobbery of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be castonished over the matter; for a lofty one keeps watch over another lofty one, and there are loftier ones over them. 9 But the advantage of the land in everything is this—a king committed to a cultivated field.
10 aHe who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its produce. This too is vanity. 11 aWhen good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the success to their masters except to look on with their eyes? 12 The sleep of the laboring man is asweet, whether he eats little or much; but the satisfaction of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.
13 There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ariches being hoarded by their master to his own evil demise. 14 And those riches were lost through a bad endeavor; and he became the father of a son, but there was nothing in his hand for him. 15 aAs he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will bcarry nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can bring in his hand. 16 This also is a sickening evil—exactly as a man came, so will he go. So awhat is the advantage to him who blabors for the wind? 17 Also, all his days ahe eats in darkness with bmuch vexation, and his sickness and anger.
18 Here is what I have seen to be agood, which is beautiful: to eat, to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God has given him; for this is his bportion. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom aGod has given riches and wealth, He has also bempowered him to eat from them and to take up his portion and be glad in his labor; this is the cgift of God. 20 For he will not remember much the days of his life because aGod allows him to occupy himself with the gladness of his heart.
The Vanity of Life
There is an aevil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men— 2 a man to whom God agives riches and wealth and honor so that his soul blacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God does not empower him to eat from them, for a foreigner eats from them. This is vanity and a sickening evil. 3 If a man becomes the father of one hundred children and lives many years, however many the days of his years may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things, and he does not even have a proper aburial, then I say, “Better bthe miscarriage than he, 4 for that one comes in vanity and goes into darkness; and that one’s name is covered in darkness. 5 Indeed, that one never sees the sun and never knows anything; that one has more rest than he. 6 Even if the other man lives one thousand years twice and does not see good things—ado not all go to the same place?”
7 aAll a man’s labor is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not fulfilled. 8 For awhat advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the afflicted man have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9 What the eyes asee is better than what the soul goes after. This too is bvanity and striving after wind.
10 Whatever aexists has already been named, and it is known what man is; and he bcannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase vanity. What then is the advantage to a man? 12 For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few days of his vain life? He will make do with them like a ashadow. For who can tell a man bwhat will be after him under the sun?