Ecclesiastes 1:2

Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version

Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time!

Cross References

Psalm 144:4

Our life is like a puff of air. It is like a passing shadow.

Romans 8:20

Everything God made was allowed to become like something that cannot fulfill its purpose. That was not its choice, but God made it happen with this hope in view:

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Those who love money will never be satisfied with the money they have. Those who love wealth will not be satisfied when they get more and more. This is also senseless.

Ecclesiastes 12:8

Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time!

Ecclesiastes 2:26

If people do good and please God, he will give them wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But those who sin will get only the work of gathering and carrying things. God takes from the bad person and gives to the good person. But all this work is useless. It is like trying to catch the wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:19

Some other person will control everything I worked and studied for. And I don’t know if that person will be wise or foolish. This is also senseless.

Ecclesiastes 2:11

But then I looked at everything I had done and the wealth I had gained. I decided it was all a waste of time! It was like trying to catch the wind. There is nothing to gain from anything we do in this life.

Ecclesiastes 2:23

Throughout their life, they have pain, frustrations, and hard work. Even at night, a person’s mind does not rest. This is also senseless.

Ecclesiastes 2:17

This made me hate life. It was depressing to think that everything in this life is useless, like trying to catch the wind.

Ecclesiastes 11:8

You should enjoy every day of your life, no matter how long you live. But remember that you will die, and you will be dead much longer than you were alive. And after you are dead, you cannot do anything.

Ecclesiastes 4:8

I saw a man who has no family, not a son or even a brother. But he continues to work very hard. He is never satisfied with what he has. And he works so hard that he never stops and asks himself, “Why am I working so hard? Why don’t I let myself enjoy my life?” This is also a very bad and senseless thing.

Ecclesiastes 4:4

Then I thought, “Why do people work so hard?” I saw people try to succeed and be better than other people. They do this because they are jealous. They don’t want other people to have more than they have. This is senseless. It is like trying to catch the wind.

Ecclesiastes 3:19

The same thing happens to animals and to people—they die. People and animals have the same ‘breath.’ Is a dead animal different from a dead person? It is all so senseless!

Ecclesiastes 2:21

People can work hard using all their wisdom and knowledge and skill. But they will die and other people will get the things they worked for. They did not do the work, but they will get everything. That makes me very sad. It is also not fair and is senseless.

Ecclesiastes 11:10

Don’t let your anger control you, and don’t let your body lead you to sin. People do foolish things in the dawn of life while they are young.

Ecclesiastes 4:16

Many people will follow this young man. But later, those same people will not like him. This is also senseless. It is like trying to catch the wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:15

I thought to myself, “The same thing that happens to a fool will also happen to me. So why have I tried so hard to become wise?” I said to myself, “Being wise is also useless.”

Job 11:12

A wild donkey cannot give birth to a man, and a stupid person will never become wise.

Psalm 89:47

Remember how short my life is. You created us to live a short life and then die.

Ecclesiastes 2:8

I also gathered silver and gold for myself. I took treasures from kings and their nations. I had men and women singing for me. I had everything any man could want.