Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
The words of Kohelet, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
“Vanity of vanities,” says Kohelet; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
3 What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
What does man gain from all his labour in which he labours under the sun?
4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.
6 The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
The wind goes towards the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.
7 All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.
8 All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.
All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.
That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.
Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new”? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
11 There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.
There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, amongst those that shall come after.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, Kohelet, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.
I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.
16 I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem — yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”
17 And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.
18 Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
