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Ecclesiastes · Geneva Bible (1599)

Ecclesiastes 1 Geneva Bible (1599)

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  • Protestant
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Textus Receptus
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 1599
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (1)

1 The wordes of the Preacher, the sonne of Dauid King in Ierusalem. 2 Vanitie of vanities, sayth the Preacher: vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie. 3 What remaineth vnto man in all his trauaile, which he suffereth vnder ye sunne? 4 One generation passeth, and another generation succeedeth: but the earth remaineth for euer. 5 The sunne riseth, and ye sunne goeth downe, and draweth to his place, where he riseth. 6 The winde goeth toward the South, and compasseth towarde the North: the winde goeth rounde about, and returneth by his circuites. 7 All the riuers goe into the sea, yet the sea is not full: for the riuers goe vnto ye place, whence they returne, and goe. 8 All things are full of labour: man cannot vtter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare filled with hearing. 9 What is it that hath bene? that that shalbe: and what is it that hath bene done? that which shalbe done: and there is no newe thing vnder the sunne. 10 Is there any thing, whereof one may say, Beholde this, it is newe? it hath bene already in the olde time that was before vs. 11 There is no memorie of the former, neither shall there be a remembrance of the latter that shalbe, with them that shall come after. 12 I the Preacher haue bene King ouer Israel in Ierusalem: 13 And I haue giuen mine heart to search and finde out wisdome by all things that are done vnder the heauen: (this sore trauaile hath GOD giuen to the sonnes of men, to humble them thereby) 14 I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the sunne, and beholde, all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit. 15 That which is crooked, can none make straight: and that which faileth, cannot be nombred. 16 I thought in mine heart, and said, Behold, I am become great, and excell in wisdome all them that haue bene before me in Ierusalem: and mine heart hath seene much wisedome and knowledge. 17 And I gaue mine heart to knowe wisdome and knowledge, madnes and foolishnes: I knew also that this is a vexation of the spirit. 18 For in the multitude of wisedome is much griefe: and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorowe.

Cross references (18)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Ecclesiastes 12:8–10; Ecclesiastes 1:12; Ecclesiastes 7:27; 1 Kings 11:42–43; 2 Peter 2:5
  2. 2 Psalm 144:4; Romans 8:20; Ecclesiastes 5:10; Psalm 39:5–6; Ecclesiastes 12:8
  3. 3 Ecclesiastes 3:9; Ecclesiastes 5:16; Ecclesiastes 2:22; Mark 8:36–37; Ecclesiastes 2:11
  4. 4 Psalm 104:5; Zechariah 1:5; Ecclesiastes 6:12; Matthew 24:35; Psalm 119:90–91
  5. 5 Psalm 42:1; Habakkuk 3:11; Psalm 19:4–6; Psalm 104:19–23; Joshua 10:13–14
  6. 6 John 3:8; Ecclesiastes 11:5; Job 37:9; Psalm 107:29; Job 37:17
  7. 7 Job 38:10–11
  8. 8 Proverbs 27:20; Matthew 11:28; Ecclesiastes 4:8; Ecclesiastes 5:10–11; Psalm 63:5
  9. 9 Ecclesiastes 3:15; Ecclesiastes 6:10; Revelation 21:1; Ecclesiastes 2:12; Ecclesiastes 7:10
  10. 10 Acts 7:51; Matthew 23:30–32; Luke 17:26–30; Matthew 5:12; 2 Timothy 3:8
  11. 11 Ecclesiastes 2:16; Psalm 9:6; Ecclesiastes 9:5; Isaiah 42:9; Isaiah 41:22–26
  12. 12 Ecclesiastes 1:1; 1 Kings 4:1–19
  13. 13 Ecclesiastes 3:10; Genesis 3:19; 1 Timothy 4:15; Ecclesiastes 8:16–17; Ecclesiastes 1:17
  14. 14 Ecclesiastes 2:11; Ecclesiastes 2:17; Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ecclesiastes 6:9; Ecclesiastes 1:17–18
  15. 15 Ecclesiastes 7:12–13; Matthew 6:27; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Isaiah 40:4; Lamentations 3:37
  16. 16 Ecclesiastes 2:9; 1 Kings 4:30; 1 Kings 10:7; 1 Kings 3:12–13; Hebrews 5:14
  17. 17 Ecclesiastes 2:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; Ecclesiastes 7:23–25; Ecclesiastes 2:10–12; Ecclesiastes 1:13–14
  18. 18 Job 28:28; Ecclesiastes 12:12–13; 1 Corinthians 3:18–20; Ecclesiastes 7:16; James 3:13–17

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 1:18 Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms (Psalm XXXVIII)

    "Do I not weep much the more?" For, "He that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow." The more I long for what is not here, do I not so much the more groan for it until it comes?

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)

  2. Quotes verse 1:2 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily LXXVI)

    But thou canst not; for, "vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Let us go to the tombs; show me thy father; show me thy wife.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)