Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
The words of the Preacher, 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 the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?
4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth stays for ever.
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 hastens to his place where he arose.
6 The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
The wind goes toward the south, and turns about to the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits.
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 from where the rivers come, thither they return 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 labor; man cannot utter it: 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.
The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is 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 any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was 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 remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher 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.
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
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 vexation of spirit.
15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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 communed with my own heart, saying, See, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yes, my heart 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.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
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 that increases knowledge increases sorrow.
