Ecclesiastes 1:3
1 These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
- KJV
- What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
- WEB
- What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
- ASV
- What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?
- DARBY
- What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
- BLB
- What profit [is] unto the man from all his toil, with which he toils under the sun?
- ÅB
- Hva vinning har mennesket av alt sitt strev, som han møyer seg med under solen?
- OTB
- Hva får mennesker ut av alt sitt arbeid som de strever med under solen?
- B1930
- Hvad vinning har mennesket av alt sitt strev, som han møier sig med under solen?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ecclesiastes 3:9
What does the worker gain from his toil?
Read in contextEcclesiastes 5:16
This too is a grievous evil: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind?
Read in contextEcclesiastes 2:22
For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
Read in contextMark 8:36–37
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Read in contextEcclesiastes 2:11
Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Read in contextJohn 6:27
Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
Read in contextProverbs 23:4–5
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 2:19
And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
Read in context