Ecclesiastes 1
1 These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem.
2 “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.
3 What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
What profit hath a man of all his toil which he toil-eth under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth endureth for ever.
5 The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.
6 The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
Going toward the south, and turning round toward the north, the wind moveth round about continually; and around its circles doth the wind return again.
7 All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is never full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither will they continue to go.
8 All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
All things weary themselves [constantly]; man can not utter them: the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
That which hath been, is the same which will be; and that which hath been done, is the same which will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
[Only] there is no recollection of former [generations]; and also of the later ones, that are to be—of these [likewise] there will be no recollection with those that will be still later.
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves therewith.
14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much wisdom and knowledge.
17 So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
And I directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; [but] I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
For where there is much wisdom there is much vexation: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain.
