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Geneva Bible Notes (1560): Ecclesiastes 1

1 a Salomon is here called a Preacher, or one that assembleth the people, because he teacheth the true knowledge of God, & how men oght to passe their life in this transitorie world.

2 b He condemneth the opinions of all men that set felicitie in anie thing, but in God alone, seing that in this worlde all things are as vanitie and nothing.

2 ! All things in this worlde are ful of vanitie, and of none indurance.

3 c Salomon doeth not condemne mans labour or diligence, but sheweth that there is no ful contentation in anie thing vnder the heauen, nor in anie creature, for asmuche as all things are transitorie.

4 d One man dieth after another, and the earth remaineth longest, euen to the last daie, which yet is subject to corruption.

6 e By the sunne, winde and riuers he sheweth that the greatest labour and longest hathe an end and therefore there can be no felicitie in this worlde.

7 f The sea which compasseth all the earth, filleth the veines thereof, the which powre out springs and riuers into the sea againe.

9 g He speaketh of times & seasons & things done in them, which as thei haue bene in times past, so come thei to passe againe.

12 h He proueth that if anie colde haue atteined to felicitie in this worlde by labour and studie, he chiefly shulde haue obteined it, because he has giftes and aydes of God thereunto aboue all other.

13 i Man of nature hathe a desire to knowe, and yet is not able to come to the perfection of knowledge, which is the punishment of sinne, to humble man, and to teache him to depende onely vpon God.

13 ! All mans wisdome is but folie and grief.

15 k Man is not able by all his diligence to cause things to go other wise then thei do: nether can he nombre the fautes that are committed, muche lesse remedie them.

17 l That is, vaine things, which serued vnto pleasure, wherin was no commoditie, but grief & trouble of conscience.

18 m Wisdome & knowledge can not be come by without great peine of bodie and minde: for when a man hathe atteined to the hiest, yet is his minde neuer fully content: therefore in this worlde is no true felicitie.