Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
The words of Kohelet, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
“Vanity of vanities,” says Kohelet; “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 does man gain from all his labour in which he labours under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.
5 And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws towards its place;
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.
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 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 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 where the rivers flow, there they flow again.
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 things are full of weariness beyond uttering. 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.
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 [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 may be said, “Behold, this is new”? It has been long ago, in the ages 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 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 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.
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 saw all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, saw, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
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 crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.
That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.
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 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 my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing 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 grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
