Ecclesiastes 1

Title

1:1 The words of the Teacher,¹ the son² of David, king³ in Jerusalem:⁴

Introduction: Utter Futility

1:2 “Futile! Futile!” laments⁵ the Teacher,⁶

“Absolutely futile!⁷ Everything⁸ is futile!”⁹

Futility Illustrated from Nature

1:3 What benefit¹⁰ do people¹¹ get from all the effort

which¹² they expend¹³ on earth?¹⁴

1:4 A generation comes¹⁵ and a generation goes,¹⁶

but the earth remains¹⁷ the same¹⁸ through the ages.¹⁹

1:5 The sun rises²⁰ and the sun sets;²¹

it hurries away²² to a place from which it rises²³ again.²⁴

1:6 The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north;

round and round²⁵ the wind goes and on its rounds it returns.²⁶

1:7 All the streams flow²⁷ into the sea, but the sea is not full,

and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again.²⁸

1:8 All this²⁹ monotony³⁰ is tiresome; no one can bear³¹ to describe it:³²

The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content³³ with hearing.

1:9 What exists now³⁴ is what will be,³⁵

and what has been done is what will be done;

there is nothing truly new on earth.³⁶

1:10 Is there anything about which someone can say, “Look at this! It is new!”?³⁷

It was already³⁸ done long ago,³⁹ before our time.⁴⁰

1:11 No one remembers the former events,⁴¹

nor will anyone remember⁴² the events that are yet to happen;⁴³

they will not be remembered by the future generations.⁴⁴

Futility of Secular Accomplishment

1:12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.⁴⁵

1:13 I decided⁴⁶ to carefully⁴⁷ and thoroughly examine⁴⁸

all that has been accomplished on earth.⁴⁹

I concluded:⁵⁰ God has given people⁵¹ a burdensome task⁵²

that keeps them⁵³ occupied.⁵⁴

1:14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man⁵⁵ on earth,⁵⁶

and I concluded: Everything⁵⁷ he has accomplished⁵⁸ is futile⁵⁹ – like chasing the wind!⁶⁰

1:15 What is bent⁶¹ cannot be straightened,⁶²

and what is missing⁶³ cannot be supplied.⁶⁴

Futility of Secular Wisdom

1:16 I thought to myself,⁶⁵

“I have become much wiser⁶⁶ than any of my predecessors who ruled⁶⁷ over Jerusalem;⁶⁸

I⁶⁹ have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.”⁷⁰

1:17 So I decided⁷¹ to discern the benefit of⁷² wisdom and knowledge over⁷³ foolish behavior and ideas;⁷⁴

however, I concluded⁷⁵ that even⁷⁶ this endeavor⁷⁷ is like⁷⁸ trying to chase the wind!⁷⁹

1:18 For with great wisdom comes⁸⁰ great frustration;

whoever increases his⁸¹ knowledge merely⁸² increases his⁸³ heartache.

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