Ecclesiastes 1
1 The wordes of the Preacher, the sonne of Dauid King in Ierusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 Vanitie of vanities, sayth the Preacher: vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie.
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
3 What remaineth vnto man in all his trauaile, which he suffereth vnder ye sunne?
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4 One generation passeth, and another generation succeedeth: but the earth remaineth for euer.
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sunne riseth, and ye sunne goeth downe, and draweth to his place, where he riseth.
The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
6 The winde goeth toward the South, and compasseth towarde the North: the winde goeth rounde about, and returneth by his circuites.
The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
7 All the riuers goe into the sea, yet the sea is not full: for the riuers goe vnto ye place, whence they returne, and goe.
All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.
8 All things are full of labour: man cannot vtter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare filled with hearing.
All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
9 What is it that hath bene? that that shalbe: and what is it that hath bene done? that which shalbe done: and there is no newe thing vnder the sunne.
What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there any thing, whereof one may say, Beholde this, it is newe? it hath bene already in the olde time that was before vs.
Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
11 There is no memorie of the former, neither shall there be a remembrance of the latter that shalbe, with them that shall come after.
There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
12 I the Preacher haue bene King ouer Israel in Ierusalem:
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I haue giuen mine heart to search and finde out wisdome by all things that are done vnder the heauen: (this sore trauaile hath GOD giuen to the sonnes of men, to humble them thereby)
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
14 I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the sunne, and beholde, all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
15 That which is crooked, can none make straight: and that which faileth, cannot be nombred.
What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I thought in mine heart, and said, Behold, I am become great, and excell in wisdome all them that haue bene before me in Ierusalem: and mine heart hath seene much wisedome and knowledge.
I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
17 And I gaue mine heart to knowe wisdome and knowledge, madnes and foolishnes: I knew also that this is a vexation of the spirit.
So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
18 For in the multitude of wisedome is much griefe: and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorowe.
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
