Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, 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 a man by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth for ever.
5 And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws towards its place;
The sun riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
6 arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round towards the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
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 run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, there they return 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 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 become weary; man cannot express it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled 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.
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 [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 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 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 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 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 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 saw all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, saw, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
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 crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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.
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 my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
And I gave my mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after 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 sorrow.
