Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Thus begins the most despairing book in the Bible. The author of Ecclesiastes (Greek for “the Preacher”) is not known; but the work is ascribed in the Bible to Solomon: The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.1:1
Vanity of vanity, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.1:2–4
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 full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
There is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us.1:7–10
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.1:14
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.1:18
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly. . . . Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event hap-peneth to them all.2:12–14
A TIME FOR ALL THINGS
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance . . . ;3:1–4 a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.3:7–8
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.5:2
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.5:5
SORROW IS BETTER THAN LAUGHTER
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men.7:2
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.7:3
As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool.7:6
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.7:8
Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.7:10
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?7:16–17
One man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.7:28–29
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war.8:8
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.9:7
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. . . . The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.9:10–11
CAST THY BREAD UPON THE WATERS
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. . . . If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.11:1–3
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. . . . In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that. . . .11:4–6
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.11:7 Rejoice O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart . . . but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.11:9
REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.12:1 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few. . . . And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; also when . . . the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.12:3–7
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.12:13–14