Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem.
The words of the Proclaimer, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.
Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his toil which he toil-eth under the sun?
What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth endureth for ever.
Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.
And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, —yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.
6 Going toward the south, and turning round toward the north, the wind moveth round about continually; and around its circles doth the wind return again.
Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is never full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither will they continue to go.
All the streams, flow into the sea, yet, the sea, is not full, —unto the place whither the streams flow, thither, do they again flow.
8 All things weary themselves [constantly]; man can not utter them: the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
All words, are weak, unable is any man to tell, —not satisfied is the eye by seeing, nor filled is the ear with hearing.
9 That which hath been, is the same which will be; and that which hath been done, is the same which will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
That which hath been, is the same that shall be, and, that which hath been done, is the same that shall be done, —and there is, nothing new, under the sun.
10 If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times which were before us.
Is there a thing, of which it can be said, See here, it is, new? Already, hath it been, for ages, [it is something] which was before us.
11 [Only] there is no recollection of former [generations]; and also of the later ones, that are to be—of these [likewise] there will be no recollection with those that will be still later.
There is, no remembrance, of the thing before, —nor, even of the things after, which shall be, will there be any remembrance, with them who shall come after.
12 I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Proclaimer, was king over Israel, in Jerusalem.
13 And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves therewith.
And I gave my heart to seek and to search out, wisely, concerning all things which are done under the heavens, —the same, is the vexatious employment God hath given to the sons of men, to work toilsomely therein,
14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
I saw all the works which were done under the sun, —and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
That which is crooked, cannot be straight, —and, that which is wanting, cannot be reckoned.
16 I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much wisdom and knowledge.
Spake, I, in my heart, saying, As for me, lo! I have become great, and have gathered wisdom, beyond any one who hath been before me over Jerusalem, —and, my heart, hath seen much wisdom and knowledge:
17 And I directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; [but] I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.
yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, —I know that, even this, is a feeding on wind.
18 For where there is much wisdom there is much vexation: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain.
For, in much wisdom, is much vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
