Eclesiastes 1

¹ The words of theSolomon is here called a preacher, or one who assembles the people, because he teaches the true knowledge of God, and how men ought to pass their life in this transitory world.Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.The Argument – Solomon as a preacher and one that desired to instruct all in the way of salvation, describes the deceivable vanities of this world: that man should not be addicted to anything under the sun, but rather inflamed with the desire of the heavenly life: therefore he confutes their opinions, which set their happiness either in knowledge or in pleasures, or in dignity and riches, wishing that man's true happiness consists in that he is united with God and will enjoy his presence: so that all other things must be rejected, save in as much as they further us to attain to this heavenly treasure, which is sure and permanent, and cannot be found in any other save in God alone.

² He condemns the opinions of all men who set happiness in anything but in God alone, seeing that in this world all things are as vanity and nothing.Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.

³ What profit hath a man of all hisSolomon does not condemn man's labour or diligence, but shows that there is no full contentment in anything under the heavens, nor in any creature, as all things are transitory.labour which he taketh under the sun?

⁴ [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth forOne man dies after another, and the earth remains longest, even to the last day, which yet is subject to corruption.ever.

⁵ The sunne riseth, and ye sunne goeth downe, and draweth to his place, where he riseth.

⁶ TheBy the sun, wind and rivers, he shows that the greatest labour and longest has an end, and therefore there can be no happiness in this world.wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.

⁷ All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; to the place fromThe sea which compasses all the earth, fills the veins of it which pour out springs and rivers into the sea again.which the rivers come, there they return again.

⁸ All things are full of labour: man cannot vtter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare filled with hearing.

⁹ He speaks of times and seasons, and things done in them, which as they have been in times past, so come they to pass again.The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.

¹⁰ Is there any thing, whereof one may say, Beholde this, it is newe? It hath bene already in the olde time that was before vs.

¹¹ There is no memorie of the former, neither shall there be a remembrance of the latter that shalbe, with them that shall come after.

¹² He proves that if any could have attained happiness in this world by labour and study, he should have obtained it, because he had gifts and aids from God to it above all others.I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³ And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this grievous labour hath God given to the sons of manMan by nature has a desire to know, and yet is not able to come to the perfection of knowledge, which is the punishment of sin, to humble man, and to teach him to depend only on God.to be exercised with it.

¹⁴ I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the sunne, and beholde, all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.

¹⁵ [That which is]Man is not able by all his diligence to cause things to go other than they do: neither can he number the faults that are committed, much less remedy them.crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is lacking cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I thought in mine heart, and said, Behold, I am become great, and excell in wisdome all them that haue bene before me in Ierusalem: and mine heart hath seene much wisedome and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to knowThat is, vain things, which served to pleasure, in which was no convenience, but grief and trouble of conscience.madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

¹⁸ For in much wisdom [is] muchWisdom and knowledge cannot be come by without great pain of body and mind: for when a man has attained the highest, yet is his mind never fully content: therefore in this world is no true happiness.grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.