Ecclesiastes 2:1

Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure

I thought to myself,

2:1 “Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.”

But I found that it also is futile.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14

Fear God Now Because Old Age and Death Come Quickly

12:1 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth –

before the difficult days come,

and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

12:2 before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark,

and the clouds disappear after the rain;

12:3 when those who keep watch over the house begin to tremble,

and the virile men begin to stoop over,

and the grinders begin to cease because they grow few,

and those who look through the windows grow dim,

12:4 and the doors along the street are shut;

when the sound of the grinding mill grows low,

and one is awakened by the sound of a bird,

and all their songs grow faint,

12:5 and they are afraid of heights and the dangers in the street;

the almond blossoms grow white,

and the grasshopper drags itself along,

and the caper berry shrivels up –

because man goes to his eternal home,

and the mourners go about in the streets –

12:6 before the silver cord is removed,

or the golden bowl is broken,

or the pitcher is shattered at the well,

or the water wheel is broken at the cistern –

12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was,

and the life’s breath returns to God who gave it.

Concluding Refrain: Qoheleth Restates His Thesis

12:8 “Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher,

“All of these things are futile!”

Concluding Epilogue: Qoheleth’s Advice is Wise

12:9 Not only was the Teacher wise,

but he also taught knowledge to the people;

he carefully evaluated and arranged many proverbs.

12:10 The Teacher sought to find delightful words,

and to write accurately truthful sayings.

12:11 The words of the sages are like prods,

and the collected sayings are like firmly fixed nails;

they are given by one shepherd.

Concluding Exhortation: Fear God and Obey His Commands!

12:12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

There is no end to the making of many books,

and much study is exhausting to the body.

12:13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

because this is the whole duty of man.

12:14 For God will evaluate every deed,

including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-18

Title

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

Introduction: Utter Futility

1:2 “Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher,

“Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”

Futility Illustrated from Nature

1:3 What benefit do people get from all the effort

which they expend on earth?

1:4 A generation comes and a generation goes,

but the earth remains the same through the ages.

1:5 The sun rises and the sun sets;

it hurries away to a place from which it rises again.

1:6 The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north;

round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns.

1:7 All the streams flow into the sea, but the sea is not full,

and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again.

1:8 All this monotony is tiresome; no one can bear to describe it:

The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing.

1:9 What exists now is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done;

there is nothing truly new on earth.

1:10 Is there anything about which someone can say, “Look at this! It is new!”?

It was already done long ago, before our time.

1:11 No one remembers the former events,

nor will anyone remember the events that are yet to happen;

they will not be remembered by the future generations.

Futility of Secular Accomplishment

1:12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

1:13 I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine

all that has been accomplished on earth.

I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task

that keeps them occupied.

1:14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth,

and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile – like chasing the wind!

1:15 What is bent cannot be straightened,

and what is missing cannot be supplied.

Futility of Secular Wisdom

1:16 I thought to myself,

“I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem;

I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.”

1:17 So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas;

however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!

1:18 For with great wisdom comes great frustration;

whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache.