Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity!
All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
3 What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?
What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
4 A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever.
One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
5 The sun rises and sets; it returns to its place, and from there, being born again,
The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
6 it circles through the south, and arcs toward the north. The spirit continues on, illuminating everything in its circuit, and turning again in its cycle.
The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
7 All rivers enter into the sea, and the sea does not overflow. To the place from which the rivers go out, they return, so that they may flow again.
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.
8 Such things are difficult; man is not able to explain them with words. The eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear fulfilled by hearing.
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.
9 What is it that has existed? The same shall exist in the future. What is it that has been done? The same shall continue to be done.
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.
10 There is nothing new under the sun. Neither is anyone able to say: “Behold, this is new!” For it has already been brought forth in the ages that were before us.
Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of the former things. Indeed, neither shall there be any record of past things in the future, for those who will exist at the very end.
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.
12 I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel at Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I was determined in my mind to seek and to investigate wisely, concerning all that is done under the sun. God has given this very difficult task to the sons of men, so that they may be occupied by it.
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.
14 I have seen all that is done under the sun, and behold: all is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit.
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
15 The perverse are unwilling to be corrected, and the number of the foolish is boundless.
That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
16 I have spoken in my heart, saying: “Behold, I have achieved greatness, and I have surpassed all the wise who were before me in Jerusalem.” And my mind has contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.
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.
17 And I have dedicated my heart, so that I may know prudence and doctrine, and also error and foolishness. Yet I recognize that, in these things also, there is hardship, and affliction of the spirit.
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.
18 Because of this, with much wisdom there is also much anger. And whoever adds knowledge, also adds hardship.
Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
