ASV

Ecclesiastes 1

Compare: BSB WEB KJV ASV

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

3What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?

4One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.

5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.

6The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.

8All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter [it] : the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

11There is no remembrance of the former [generations] ; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among those that shall come after.

12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

17And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

18For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Study This Passage

Key Words and Topics

These study connections are drawn from the internal BSB concordance and topical index imported into Daily Bread Intake.

Related Topics

Covetousness: General Scriptures Concerning Ecclesiastes 1:2–8

“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!” / What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun? / Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

Deja Vu Ecclesiastes 1:9–11

What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. / Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us. / There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.

Experience: Solomon's Ecclesiastes 1:2

“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”

Instruction: from Nature Ecclesiastes 1:13–18

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them! / 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. / What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

Investigation: General Scriptures Concerning Ecclesiastes 1:13–18

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them! / 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. / What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

Man: Spirit Ecclesiastes 1:8

All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.

Pleasure: Worldly Ecclesiastes 1:17

So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.

Rivers: Run Into the Sea Ecclesiastes 1:7

All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.

Science: Observations of, and Deductions From, Facts Ecclesiastes 1:13–17

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them! / 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. / What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

Solomon: Wealth of Ecclesiastes 1:16

I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

Solomon: Wisdom and Fame of Ecclesiastes 1:16

I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

Technology Ecclesiastes 1:9

What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

Select a topic to open the full topical search.

Bible Dictionary

Related Dictionary Terms

Explore people, places, themes, and biblical terms connected to this passage.