What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. - Eccl. 1.9
"The Preacher/Teacher" (the translated title of this book) shares wisdom with its readers. Yet if Proverbs imagines wisdom through divine engagement, Ecclesiastes provides a seemingly cynical view of experience and wisdom. The older translations used the word "vanity" repeatedly; the NIV uses "meaningless". Ecclesiastes does believe in wisdom ("wisdom is better than weapons of war"), but downplays the stature of humanity in comparison to God. Wise indeed. "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth...."
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