{"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/wbt/ecclesiastes/1","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-05-29T22:54:43.957Z"},"reference":{"translation":"WBT","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 of Jerusalem."},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity."},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun?"},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever."},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose."},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits."},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again."},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us."},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after."},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem."},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it."},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit."},{"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 my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit."},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."}],"citation":{"inline":"Ecclesiastes 1 (WBT)","markdown":"[Ecclesiastes 1](https://primebible.com/wbt/ecclesiastes/1)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* WBT. https://primebible.com/wbt/ecclesiastes/1 (accessed 2026-05-29)."}}