Banchory Christian Fellowship Church
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11
New International Version - UK
Wisdom is meaningless
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, ‘Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.’ 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.
Pleasures are meaningless
2 I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 ‘Laughter,’ I said, ‘is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?’ 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly – my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well – the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labour,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
Footnotes
16th June 2024 - "Under the Mighty Hand of God" - 1 Peter 5:5-11
9th June 2024 - "Leading God's People" - 1 Peter 5:1-14
2nd June 2024 - "God Speaks To Us" - Hebrews 1:1-3
26th May 2024 - "Mission Sunday" - Acts 1:1-8
19th May 2024 - "Two Ways to Suffer" - 1 Peter 4:12-19
12th May 2024 - "Life Together" - 1 Peter 4:7-11
5th May 2024 - "Jesus Our Perfect King" - Luke 23:1-43
28th April 2024 - "THINKING LIKE JESUS" - 1 Peter 4:1-6
21st April 2024 - "Living for the Victorious Saviour" - 1 Peter 3:8-22
PM 14th April 2024 - "A family of followers" - Mark 3:31-35
14th April 2024 - "Count it all joy" - James 1:1-12
7th April 2024 - "What does God look like?" - 2 Corinthians 4:6
31st March 2024 - "CHRIST IS RISEN!" - Luke 24:1-12
24th March 2024 - "Behold Your King" - Luke 19:28-40
17th March 2024 - "LIVING FOR JESUS AT HOME" - 1 Peter 3:1-12
10th March 2024 - "FOLLOWING THE STEPS OF JESUS" - 1 Peter 2:18-25
3rd March 2024 - "TESTING JESUS" - Matthew 22:15-22
25th February 2024 - "Living as God's People in the World" - 1 Peter 2:11-17
18th February 2024 - "The Real Jesus" - Mark 8:27-38(ESV)
11th February 2024 - "BUILT ON A SURE FOUNDATION" - 1 Peter 2:4-10
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