Ecclesiastes 1:2

Bible in Basic English (1941)

All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Rom 8:20 : 20 For every living thing was put under the power of change, not by its desire, but by him who made it so, in hope
  • Eccl 12:8 : 8 All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
  • Ps 39:5-6 : 5 You have made my days no longer than a hand's measure; and my years are nothing in your eyes; truly, every man is but a breath. (Selah.) 6 Truly, every man goes on his way like an image; he is troubled for no purpose: he makes a great store of wealth, and has no knowledge of who will get it.
  • Ps 144:4 : 4 Man is like a breath: his life is like a shade which is quickly gone.
  • Ps 62:9-9 : 9 Truly men of low birth are nothing, and men of high position are not what they seem; if they are put in the scales together they are less than a breath. 10 Have no faith in the rewards of evil-doing, or in profits wrongly made: if your wealth is increased, do not put your hopes on it.
  • Eccl 2:11 : 11 Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
  • Eccl 2:15 : 15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
  • Eccl 2:17 : 17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
  • Eccl 2:19 : 19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.
  • Eccl 2:21 : 21 Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.
  • Eccl 2:23 : 23 All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
  • Eccl 2:26 : 26 To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
  • Eccl 3:19 : 19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.
  • Eccl 4:4 : 4 And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
  • Eccl 4:8 : 8 It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.
  • Eccl 4:16 : 16 There was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
  • Eccl 5:10 : 10 When goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?
  • Eccl 6:11 : 11 There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?
  • Eccl 11:8 : 8 But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.
  • Eccl 11:10 : 10 So put away trouble from your heart, and sorrow from your flesh; because the early years and the best years are to no purpose.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 12:8
    92%

    8 All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 1:1
    89%

    1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

  • Eccl 1:8-17
    10 verses
    86%

    8 All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.

    9 That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.

    10 Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.

    11 There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.

    12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

    13 And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

    14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

    15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

    16 I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem--yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.

    17 And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.

  • Eccl 1:3-4
    2 verses
    84%

    3 What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?

    4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.

  • Eccl 2:10-12
    3 verses
    84%

    10 And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.

    11 Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

    12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.

  • Eccl 2:15-23
    9 verses
    82%

    15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.

    16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!

    17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

    18 Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.

    19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

    20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

    21 Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.

    22 What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

    23 All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 2:1-2
    2 verses
    80%

    1 I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.

    2 Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?

  • Eccl 6:11-12
    2 verses
    80%

    11 There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?

    12 Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?

  • Eccl 4:16
    79%

    16 There was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 4:7-8
    2 verses
    79%

    7 Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.

    8 It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.

  • Eccl 3:19-20
    2 verses
    76%

    19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.

    20 All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.

  • Eccl 4:4
    76%

    4 And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

  • Eccl 6:7-9
    3 verses
    76%

    7 All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food.

    8 What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?

    9 What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

  • Eccl 11:8
    74%

    8 But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 5:16
    74%

    16 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.

  • Eccl 8:10
    74%

    10 And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.

  • Ps 39:6
    74%

    6 Truly, every man goes on his way like an image; he is troubled for no purpose: he makes a great store of wealth, and has no knowledge of who will get it.

  • Eccl 6:1
    74%

    1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;

  • Eccl 8:14
    73%

    14 There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 3:22
    73%

    22 So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?

  • Eccl 3:15
    73%

    15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.

  • Eccl 2:25-26
    2 verses
    72%

    25 Who may take food or have pleasure without him?

    26 To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 8:17
    72%

    17 Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.