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 a man of all his labour which he taketh 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 abideth for ever.
One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his 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 from whence the rivers come, thither they return 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 labour; man cannot utter 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 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing 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 any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was 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 any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
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 gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised 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 vexation of spirit.
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 am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience 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 gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of 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 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
