Ecclesiastes 1:3
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
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 profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
Read in contextEcclesiastes 5:16
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
Read in contextEcclesiastes 2:22
For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
Read in contextMark 8:36–37
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Read in contextEcclesiastes 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 contextJohn 6:27
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Read in contextProverbs 23:4–5
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 2:19
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
Read in context