The Preacher’s Theme: The Vanity of Human Endeavors
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
1The words of the preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.2Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.3What advantage has the man in all his toil that he toils under the sun?4A generation goes and a generation comes, but the land stands forever.5And the sun rises and the sun sets, and to its place it hastens, rising there.6It goes to the south and turns to the north; the spirit turns and turns and goes, and returns upon its circuits.7All the rivers go to the sea, and the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they return to go.8All words are wearisome; a man is not able to speak; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.10There is a thing of which one says, "See, this is new"; it has already been for ages that were before us.11There is no memorial for the first ones, and also for the last ones that will be; there will not be for them a memorial with those that will be at the last.