Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth standeth for ever.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun riseth, and goeth down, and returneth to his place: and there rising again,
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 Maketh his round by the south, and turneth again to the north: the spirit goeth forward surveying all places round about, and returneth to his circuits.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea doth not overflow: unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, to flow again.
All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
8 All things are hard: man cannot explain them by word. The eye is not filled with seeing, neither is the ear filled with hearing.
Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
9 What is it that hath been? the same thing that shall be. What is it that hath been done? the same that shall be done.
Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
10 Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us.
Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end.
No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
12 I Ecclesiastes was king over Israel in Jerusalem,
I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I proposed in my mind to seek and search out wisely concerning all things that are done under the sun. This painful occupation hath God given to the children of men, to be exercised therein.
I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
14 I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
15 The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
16 I have spoken in my heart, saying: Behold I am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.
I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”
17 And I have given my heart to know prudence, and learning, and errors, and folly: and I have perceived that in these also there was labour, and vexation of spirit,
So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 Because In much wisdom there is much indignation: and he that addeth knowledge, addeth also labour.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
