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, saith 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 hath a man by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth 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 riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
6 The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth to its 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 whence the rivers come, thither they return.
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 words become weary; man cannot express 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 hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath 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 any thing of which one may say, “Behold, this is new”? It was long ago, in the times 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 remembrance of former things, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel at 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 mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.
14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
I saw all the things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving 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 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 heart, saying, “Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath seen much 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 mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after wind.
18 Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
