Psa 39:5-6, Ecc 1:14, 2:1-11, 20-23, 4:8 | ESV | STEP | Behold , you have made my days a few handbreadths , and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath ! Selah

Psalms 39:5-6

5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and ^amy lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely ^ball mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6 Surely a man ^cgoes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing ^{▼▼Hebrew Surely as a breath} they are in turmoil;
man ^eheaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

Ecclesiastes 1:14

14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is ^fvanity ^{▼▼The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)} and a striving after wind. ^{▼▼Or a feeding on wind; compare Hosea 12:1 (also in Ecclesiastes 1:17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9)}

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

The Vanity of Self-Indulgence

1 I ⁱsaid in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. ^{▼▼The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26 (see note on 1:2)} 2 I ^ksaid of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I ^lsearched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on ^mfolly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I ⁿbuilt houses and planted ^ovineyards for myself. 5 I made myself ^pgardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had ^qslaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of ^rherds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and ^sgold and the treasure of ^tkings and ^uprovinces. I got ^vsingers, both men and women, and many ^wconcubines, ^{▼▼The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain} the delight of the sons of man.

9 So I became great and ^ysurpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my ^zwisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart ^aafound pleasure in all my toil, and this was my ^abreward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was ^acvanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing ^adto be gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:20-23

20 So I ^aeturned about and gave my heart up to despair ^afover all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from ^agall the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For ^ahall his days are full of sorrow, and his ^aiwork is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 4:8

8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his ^ajeyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, ^ak“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy ^albusiness.