Ecclesiastes 1:3
What does a man gain from all his labor,
What it says
He asks what lasting profit comes from all human labor under the sun.
What it is doing
This verse frames the book's central inquiry into gain.
In context
1These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2“Futility of futilities,” 3What does a man gain from all his labor, 4Generations come and generations go, 5The sun rises and the sun sets; 6The wind blows southward, 7All the rivers flow into the sea, 8All things are wearisome, 9What has been will be again, 10Is there a case where one can say, 11There is no remembrance