Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity!
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever.
5 Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
The sun rises and sets; it returns to its place, and from there, being born again,
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.
it circles through the south, and arcs toward the north. The spirit continues on, illuminating everything in its circuit, and turning again in its cycle.
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 rivers enter into the sea, and the sea does not overflow. To the place from which the rivers go out, they return, so that they may flow 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.
Such things are difficult; man is not able to explain them with words. The eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear fulfilled by 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 it that has existed? The same shall exist in the future. What is it that has been done? The same shall continue to be done.
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!
There is nothing new under the sun. Neither is anyone able to say: “Behold, this is new!” For it has already been brought forth in the ages that 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.
There is no remembrance of the former things. Indeed, neither shall there be any record of past things in the future, for those who will exist at the very end.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel at 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 was determined in my mind to seek and to investigate wisely, concerning all that is done under the sun. God has given this very difficult task to the sons of men, so that they may be occupied by it.
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 have seen all that is done under the sun, and behold: all is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
The perverse are unwilling to be corrected, and the number of the foolish is boundless.
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 have spoken in my heart, saying: “Behold, I have achieved greatness, and I have surpassed all the wise who were before me in Jerusalem.” And my mind has contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.
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 have dedicated my heart, so that I may know prudence and doctrine, and also error and foolishness. Yet I recognize that, in these things also, there is hardship, and affliction of the spirit.
18 for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
Because of this, with much wisdom there is also much anger. And whoever adds knowledge, also adds hardship.
