Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
The words of the Proclaimer, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.
3 What advantage [is there] to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?
What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
5 And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;
And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, —yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.
6 arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
All the streams, flow into the sea, yet, the sea, is not full, —unto the place whither the streams flow, thither, do they again flow.
8 All things are full of labour; a man will not be able to speak [of them]: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.
All words, are weak, unable is any man to tell, —not satisfied is the eye by seeing, nor filled is the ear with hearing.
9 What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
That which hath been, is the same that shall be, and, that which hath been done, is the same that shall be done, —and there is, nothing new, under the sun.
10 [Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us.
Is there a thing, of which it can be said, See here, it is, new? Already, hath it been, for ages, [it is something] which was before us.
11 There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last [time].
There is, no remembrance, of the thing before, —nor, even of the things after, which shall be, will there be any remembrance, with them who shall come after.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Proclaimer, was king over Israel, in Jerusalem.
13 And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.
And I gave my heart to seek and to search out, wisely, concerning all things which are done under the heavens, —the same, is the vexatious employment God hath given to the sons of men, to work toilsomely therein,
14 I beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, beheld, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
I saw all the works which were done under the sun, —and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and deficiency cannot be numbered.
That which is crooked, cannot be straight, —and, that which is wanting, cannot be reckoned.
16 I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.
Spake, I, in my heart, saying, As for me, lo! I have become great, and have gathered wisdom, beyond any one who hath been before me over Jerusalem, —and, my heart, hath seen much wisdom and knowledge:
17 And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, —I know that, even this, is a feeding on wind.
18 For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.
For, in much wisdom, is much vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
