Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem.
THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity!
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
3 What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
4 A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun rises and sets; it returns to its place, and from there, being born again,
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
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 goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
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 run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither 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 toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with 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 hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new 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 a thing whereof it is said: 'See, this is new'? — it hath been already, in the ages which were 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 remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after.
12 I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel at Jerusalem.
I Koheleth have been 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 applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
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 that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
15 The perverse are unwilling to be corrected, and the number of the foolish is boundless.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot 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 spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of 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 applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
18 Because of this, with much wisdom there is also much anger. And whoever adds knowledge, also adds hardship.
For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
