Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Proclaimer, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?
4 Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth stays for ever.
5 And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, —yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to his place where he arose.
6 Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
The wind goes toward the south, and turns about to the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits.
7 All the streams, flow into the sea, yet, the sea, is not full, —unto the place whither the streams flow, thither, do they again flow.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 All words, are weak, unable is any man to tell, —not satisfied is the eye by seeing, nor filled is the ear with hearing.
All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 That which hath been, is the same that shall be, and, that which hath been done, is the same that shall be done, —and there is, nothing new, under the sun.
The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there a thing, of which it can be said, See here, it is, new? Already, hath it been, for ages, [it is something] which was before us.
Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is, no remembrance, of the thing before, —nor, even of the things after, which shall be, will there be any remembrance, with them who shall come after.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 I, the Proclaimer, was king over Israel, in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to seek and to search out, wisely, concerning all things which are done under the heavens, —the same, is the vexatious employment God hath given to the sons of men, to work toilsomely therein,
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 I saw all the works which were done under the sun, —and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 That which is crooked, cannot be straight, —and, that which is wanting, cannot be reckoned.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Spake, I, in my heart, saying, As for me, lo! I have become great, and have gathered wisdom, beyond any one who hath been before me over Jerusalem, —and, my heart, hath seen much wisdom and knowledge:
I communed with my own heart, saying, See, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yes, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, —I know that, even this, is a feeding on wind.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 For, in much wisdom, is much vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.
