{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/dbt/ecclesiastes/1","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-05-27T02:54:14.671Z"},"reference":{"translation":"DBT","book":"Ecclesiastes","bookSlug":"ecclesiastes","chapter":1,"testament":"OLD"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":null,"nextChapter":2,"totalChapters":12,"totalVerses":18},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem."},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity."},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?"},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever."},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth."},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits."},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again."},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun."},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us."},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards."},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem."},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith."},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind."},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered."},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge."},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind."},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."}],"citation":{"inline":"Ecclesiastes 1 (DBT)","markdown":"[Ecclesiastes 1](https://primebible.com/dbt/ecclesiastes/1)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* DBT. https://primebible.com/dbt/ecclesiastes/1 (accessed 2026-05-27)."}}