Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
What profit hath a man of all his toil which he toil-eth under the sun?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth endureth for ever.
5 Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.
6 Going to the south, and turning around to the north, turning around, turning around, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind has returned.
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.
7 All the streams are going to the sea, and the sea is not full; to a place to where the streams are going, there they are turning back to go.
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.
8 All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear filled from hearing.
All things weary themselves [constantly]; man can not utter them: the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What [is] that which has been? It [is] that which is, and what [is] that which has been done? It [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
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.
10 There is a thing of which [one] says: “See this, it [is] new!” Already it has been in the ages that were before us!
If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times which were before us.
11 There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
[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.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God has given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
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.
14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit!
I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
16 I spoke with my heart, saying, “I, behold, have magnified and added wisdom above everyone who has been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart has seen wisdom and knowledge abundantly.
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.
17 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] distress of spirit;
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.
18 for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
For where there is much wisdom there is much vexation: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain.
