Parallel Verses

Lexham Expanded Bible

"Vanity of vanities!" says the Teacher, "Vanity of vanities! All [is] vanity!"

New American Standard Bible

Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

King James Version

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Holman Bible

“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.
“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

International Standard Version

"Utterly pointless," says the Teacher. "Absolutely pointless; everything is pointless."

A Conservative Version

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

American Standard Version

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

Amplified


“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher.
“Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God’s guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind].”

Bible in Basic English

All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.

Darby Translation

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.

Julia Smith Translation

Vanity of vanities, said the preacher; vanity of vanities, all vanity.

King James 2000

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Modern King James verseion

Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

All is but vanity - sayeth the Preacher - all is but plain vanity.

NET Bible

"Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!"

New Heart English Bible

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

The Emphasized Bible

Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.

Webster

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

World English Bible

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

Youngs Literal Translation

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole is vanity.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
הבל הבל 
hebel 
Usage: 73

הבל הבל 
hebel 
הבל הבל 
hebel 
Usage: 73
Usage: 73

the Preacher
קהלת 
Qoheleth 
Usage: 7

הבל הבל 
hebel 
Usage: 73

Devotionals

Devotionals containing Ecclesiastes 1:2

References

Images Ecclesiastes 1:2

Prayers for Ecclesiastes 1:2

Context Readings

Motto Introduced

1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 "Vanity of vanities!" says the Teacher, "Vanity of vanities! All [is] vanity!" 3 What does a person gain in all his toil with which he toils under the sun?


Cross References

Ecclesiastes 12:8

"Vanity of vanity!" says the Teacher. "Everything [is] vanity!"

Romans 8:20

For the creation has been subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of the one who subjected [it], in hope

Psalm 39:5-6

Look, you have made my days [mere] handbreadths, and my lifespan as nothing next to you. Surely every person standing firm [is] complete vanity. Selah

Psalm 144:4

Humankind is like a breath, his days like a passing shadow.

Psalm 62:9-10

Only a vapor [are] men of low degree, a deception [are] men of high degree. {Weighed} in a balance, together they [are lighter] than a vapor.

Ecclesiastes 2:11

Yet when I considered all the effort which I expended and the toil with which I toiled to do, then behold, "Everything [is] vanity and chasing wind! There is nothing profitable under the sun!"

Ecclesiastes 2:15

So I said {to myself}, "{If I also suffer the same fate as the fool}, {what advantage is my great wisdom}?" So I said {to myself}, "This also [is] vanity!"

Ecclesiastes 2:17

So I hated life because the work done under the sun [is] grievous to me. For everything [is] vanity and chasing wind!

Ecclesiastes 2:19

And who knows [whether] he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will exercise control of all [the fruit of] my toil with which I toiled wisely under the sun. This also [is] vanity!

Ecclesiastes 2:21

For although a person may toil with great wisdom and skill, he must leave his reward to someone who has not toiled for it. This also [is] vanity and a great calamity.

Ecclesiastes 2:23

All his days [are] painful, his labor [brings] grief, and his heart cannot rest at night. This also [is] vanity!

Ecclesiastes 2:26

For to the person who [is] good in his eyes, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and heaping up only to give [it] to [him who is] pleasing to him. This also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

Ecclesiastes 3:19

For the fate of {humans} and the fate of the beast is {the same}. The death of the one is like the death of the other, for {both are mortal}. Man has no advantage over the beast, for both are fleeting.

Ecclesiastes 4:4

I also realized that all [of the] toil and all [of] the skillful work that is done--it [is] envy between one man and {another}. This also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

Ecclesiastes 4:8

Sometimes a man is all alone with no companion; he also has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eye is not satisfied with wealth. [He laments,] "For whom am I toiling and depriving {myself} of pleasure?" This also [is] vanity--it is an unhappy business!

Ecclesiastes 4:16

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before him. Yet the later generation will not rejoice in him, for this also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Whoever loves money is not satisfied [with] money, and whoever loves wealth [is] not [satisfied with] profit. This also [is] vanity!

Ecclesiastes 6:11

{Increasing words only multiplies futility}, how does that profit anyone?

Ecclesiastes 11:8

For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in all of them! Let him remember that the days of the darkness will be many-- all that is coming [is] vanity!

Ecclesiastes 11:10

Banish anxiety from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and vigor [are] vanity.

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Word Concordance

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain