Ecclesiastes 1:11-17

¹¹No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”

¹²I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.

¹⁴I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.

¹⁵The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!

¹⁶I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.