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Ecclesiastes / The Preacher’s Theme: The Vanity of Human Endeavors
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The Preacher’s Theme: The Vanity of Human Endeavors

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

1
Chapter 1
1 Words of Qoheleth, son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 "Vanity of vanities," said Qoheleth; "vanity of vanities! All is vanity." 3 What profit does a man have from all his toil with which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, a generation comes, and the earth stands for eternity. 5 The sun rises, and the sun sets and hastens to its place, where it rises again. 6 Going to the Negeb and circling to the north, circling, it circles. The wind goes, and on its circlings the wind returns. 7 All the streams go to the sea, but the sea is not full. To the place the streams go, there they return to go. 8 All things are wearisome; no one can speak of them enough. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what was done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which one says, "Look—this is new!"? It has already been for the ages, which were before us. 11 There is no remembrance of the former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things among those who come after.