Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
What advantage [is there] to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
5 Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;
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.
arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
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; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
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 are full of labour; a man will not be able to speak [of them]: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be 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.
What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing 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!
[Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed 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.
There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last [time].
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher 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 applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled 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 beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, beheld, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and deficiency 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 in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know 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 my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
18 for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.
