Ecclesiastes 1:1

⁸“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”

⁹Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs. ¹⁰The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.

¹²I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

²⁷“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanation

⁴²The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. ⁴³Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in his father David’s city; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

⁵and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly,

¹The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound,

⁹I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, LORD, you know.

¹⁷But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. ¹⁸Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.

³⁰Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

⁷You have also appointed prophets to proclaim of you at Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let’s take counsel together.”