Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes 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 hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh 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 standeth 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 riseth, and goeth down, and returneth to his place: and there rising 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.
Maketh his round by the south, and turneth again to the north: the spirit goeth forward surveying all places round about, and returneth to his 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, yet the sea doth not overflow: unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, to 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.
All things are hard: man cannot explain them by word. The eye is not filled with seeing, neither is 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.
What is it that hath been? the same thing that shall be. What is it that hath been done? the same that shall 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!
Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before 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 former things: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I Ecclesiastes 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 proposed in my mind to seek and search out wisely concerning all things that are done under the sun. This painful occupation hath God given to the children of men, to be exercised therein.
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 things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of 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 hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.
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 am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath 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 given my heart to know prudence, and learning, and errors, and folly: and I have perceived that in these also there was labour, and vexation of spirit,
18 for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
Because In much wisdom there is much indignation: and he that addeth knowledge, addeth also labour.
