Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, 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 man of all his labour wherein he laboureth 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; and the earth abideth 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 ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
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.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, and the wind returneth again 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, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go 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 toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not 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 that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall 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!
Is there a thing whereof it is said: 'See, this is new'? — it hath been already, in the ages 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.
There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I Koheleth have been 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 and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised 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 have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
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 that which is wanting 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 gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of 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 applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
18 for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
