Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

◄ Ecclesiastes 1:14 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

English Standard Version
I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

New American Standard Bible
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

King James Bible
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

International Standard Version
I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless—like chasing after the wind.

American Standard Version
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.

Darby Bible Translation
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Young's Literal Translation
I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit!

Cross References

Ecclesiastes 1:17
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 2:11
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had worked, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

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

Ecclesiastes 2:26
For God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also 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 neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 4:16
There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 6:9
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 8:16
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes:)

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

1:12-18 Solomon tried all things, and found them vanity. He found his searches after knowledge weariness, not only to the flesh, but to the mind. The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the more he saw their vanity; and the sight often vexed his spirit. He could neither gain that satisfaction to himself, nor do that good to others, which he expected. Even the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom discovered man's wickedness and misery; so that the more he knew, the more he saw cause to lament and mourn. Let us learn to hate and fear sin, the cause of all this vanity and misery; to value Christ; to seek rest in the knowledge, love, and service of the Saviour.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

14. The reason is here given why investigation into man's "works" is only "sore travail" (Ec 1:13); namely, because all man's ways are vain (Ec 1:18) and cannot be mended (Ec 1:15).

vexation of—"a preying upon"

the Spirit—Maurer translates; "the pursuit of wind," as in Ec 5:16; Ho 12:1, "Ephraim feedeth on wind." But old versions support the English Version.