Vapor, Achievement, and the Gift of a Received Life

Ecclesiastes 1

1:1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

1:2“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

1:3What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

1:4One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

1:5The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

1:6The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

1:7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

1:8All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

1:9That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.

1:10Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new”? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

1:11There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

1:12I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

1:13I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

1:14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

1:15That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

1:16I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

1:17I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

1:18For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 2

2:1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity.

2:2I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

2:3I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.

2:4I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

2:5I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.

2:6I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown.

2:7I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem.

2:8I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts.

2:9So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

2:10Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.

2:11Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

2:12I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

2:13Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

2:14The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

2:15Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

2:16For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

2:17So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

2:18I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

2:19Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

2:20Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.

2:21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

2:22For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

2:23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

2:24There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

2:25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

2:26For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.