Solomon announces his theme
1
📚✭The words of the teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.2 📚✭Vanity of vanities, says the teacher, vanity of vanities. All is vanity✭.
He gives illustrations
3 📚What profit does a man have from all his labour which he undertakes under the sun?
4 📚✭One generation passes away and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 📚The sun also rises, and the sun goes down and hurries to its place where it rose.
6 📚The wind goes toward the south and turns around to the north; it swirls about continually, and the wind returns again on its circuits.
7 📚All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full. To the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.
8 📚All things are wearisome; man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. 9 📚The thing that has been, is what will be; and what has been done is what will be done; and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 📚Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new?” It has already been in olden times, which were before us.
11 📚There is no remembrance of former things; nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come afterwards.
He more fully introduces himself
12 📚✭I, the teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 📚And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven; this unhappy task God has given to the sons of man with which to be occupied.
14 📚I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, look, all is emptiness and chasing the wind✭.
15 📚✭What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 📚✭I spoke in my own heart, saying, “Look, I have amassed and acquired more wisdom than all those who have been before me in Jerusalem; yes, my heart has had great experience in wisdom and knowledge”.
He resolves to gain understanding of the meaning of life
17 📚And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly✭; I have come to see that this also is striving for wind.
18 📚For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who gains more knowledge gains more sorrow.