Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
3 What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
6 The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go 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 All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with 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 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
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 Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which 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 former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
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, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
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 the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
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 applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
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 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
