{"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/erv/ecclesiastes/1","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-05-29T23:00:13.159Z"},"reference":{"translation":"ERV","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 wherein he laboureth under the sun?"},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever."},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth."},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, 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 weariness; man cannot utter 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 shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"Is there a thing whereof men say, See, this is new? it hath been already, in the ages which were before us."},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"There is no remembrance of the former generations; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter generations that are to come, among those that shall come after."},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem."},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith."},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after 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 gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind."},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."}],"citation":{"inline":"Ecclesiastes 1 (ERV)","markdown":"[Ecclesiastes 1](https://primebible.com/erv/ecclesiastes/1)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* ERV. https://primebible.com/erv/ecclesiastes/1 (accessed 2026-05-29)."}}