Ecclesiastes 1:1–4

EVERYTHING IS FUTILE

1 The words of the Teacher,A,a son of David, king in Jerusalem.b

2 “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.

“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”c

3 What does a person gain for all his efforts

that he labors at under the sun?d

4 A generation goes and a generation comes,

but the earth remains forever.e

A	Or of Qoheleth, or of the Leader of the Assembly
a	Ec 1:12 Ec 7:27 Ec 12:8–10
b	1 Ki 2:12 Pr 1:1
c	Ps 39:5–6 Ps 62:9 Ps 144:4 Ec 12:8 Ro 8:20
d	Ec 2:11 Ec 2:22 Ec 3:9 Ec 5:16
e	Ps 104:5 Ps 119:90 1 Jn 2:17