Ecclesiastes 12:8
New International Version
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!”

New Living Translation
“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”

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

Berean Standard Bible
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”

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

New King James Version
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.”

New American Standard Bible
“Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher, “all is futility!”

NASB 1995
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

NASB 1977
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

Legacy Standard Bible
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

Amplified Bible
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All [that is done without God’s guidance] is vanity (futility).”

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.”

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

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Futility of futilities, says the Preacher; futility of futilities, everything is futility!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.

Contemporary English Version
Nothing makes sense. I have seen it all--nothing makes sense.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Absolutely pointless!" says the spokesman. "Everything is pointless!"

Good News Translation
Useless, useless, said the Philosopher. It is all useless.

International Standard Version
"Utterly pointless," says the Teacher. "Everything is pointless."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.

Literal Standard Version
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.

Majority Standard Bible
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”

New American Bible
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity!

NET Bible
"Absolutely futile!" laments the Teacher, "All of these things are futile!"

New Revised Standard Version
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity.

New Heart English Bible
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher. All is vanity.

Webster's Bible Translation
Vanity of vanities saith the preacher; all is vanity.

World English Bible
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”

Young's Literal Translation
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole is vanity.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Remember Your Creator
7before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:1
These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Ecclesiastes 1:2
"Futility of futilities," says the Teacher, "futility of futilities! Everything is futile!"

Ecclesiastes 1:12
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.


Treasury of Scripture

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

Ecclesiastes 1:2,14
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity…

Ecclesiastes 2:17
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 4:4
Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

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Koheleth Meaningless Preacher Purpose Teacher Vanities Vanity Whole
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Koheleth Meaningless Preacher Purpose Teacher Vanities Vanity Whole
Ecclesiastes 12
1. the Creator is to be remembered in due time
8. The preacher's care to edify
13. the fear of God is the chief antidote for vanity














Verse 8. - It has been much questioned whether this verse is the conclusion of the treatise or the commencement of the epilogue. For the latter conclusion it is contended that it is only natural that the beginning of the final summing-up should start with the same words as the opening of the book (Ecclesiastes 1:2); and that thus the conjunction "and," with which ver. 9 begins, is readily explained. But the treatise is more artistically completed by regarding this solemn utterance as the conclusion of the whole, ending with the same burden with which it began - the nothingness of earthly things. Koheleth has labored to show this, he has pursued the thought from beginning to end, through all circumstances and conditions, and he can only re-echo his melancholy refrain. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher. He does not follow the destiny of the immortal spirit; it is not his purpose to do so; his theme is the fragility of mortal things, their unsatisfying nature, the impossibility of their securing man's happiness: so his voyage lands him at the point whence he set forth, though he has learned and taught faith in the interval. If all is vanity, there is behind and above all a God of inflexible justice, who must do right, and to whom we may safely trust our cares and perplexities. Koheleth," Preacher," here has the article, the Koheleth, as if some special reference was made to the meaning of the name - he who has been debating, or haranguing, or gathering together, utters finally his careful verdict. This is the sentence of the ideal Solomon, who has given his experiences in the preceding pages.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Futility
הֲבֵ֧ל (hă·ḇêl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

of futilities,”
הֲבָלִ֛ים (hă·ḇā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

says
אָמַ֥ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the Teacher.
הַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶת (haq·qō·w·he·leṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6953: Preacher -- 'a collector (of sentences)', 'a preacher', a son of David

“Everything
הַכֹּ֥ל (hak·kōl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

is futile!”
הָֽבֶל׃ (hā·ḇel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 12:8 Vanity of vanities says the Preacher (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 12:7
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