Ecclesiastes 1:14

¹² I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³ And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

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

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
KJV: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
WEB: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
ASV: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
DARBY: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
BLB: I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and indeed, all [is] vapor and striving after the wind.

ÅB: Jeg sa alle de gjerninger som gjøres under solen, og se, alt sammen var tomhet og jag etter vind.
OTB: Jeg har sett alt som gjøres under solen; alt er meningsløst og et jag etter vind.
B1930: Jeg sa alle de gjerninger som gjøres under solen, og se, alt sammen var tomhet og jag efter vind.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ecclesiastes 2:11
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
Read in context
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.
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 2:26
For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth 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.
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 6:9
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 1:17–18
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Read in context
Psalms 39:5–6
Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
Read in context
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.
Read in context
1 Kings 4:30–32
And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Read in context