Ecclesiastes 1
All Is
Vanity |
1 |
The words of the Preacher, the son of
David, king in Jerusalem.
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2 |
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher,
vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
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3 |
What profit hath a man of all his labor
which he taketh under the sun?
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4 |
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for
ever.
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5 |
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth
down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
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6 |
The wind goeth toward the south, and
turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the
wind returneth again according to his circuits.
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7 |
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.
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8 |
All things are full of labor; man
cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor
the ear filled with hearing.
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9 |
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.
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10 |
Is there any thing whereof it may
be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time,
which was before us.
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11 |
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come
after.
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The Experience of the
Preacher |
12 |
I the Preacher was king over Israel in
Jerusalem.
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13 |
And I gave my heart to seek and search
out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under
heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be
exercised therewith.
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14 |
I have seen all the works that are done
under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of
spirit.
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15 |
That which is crooked cannot be
made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be
numbered.
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16 |
I communed with mine own heart, saying,
Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had
great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 1 Kgs. 4.29-31
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17 |
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and
to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of
spirit.
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18 |
For in much wisdom is much grief:
and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth
sorrow.
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