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, saith 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 hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
4 Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth 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 riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
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 goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its 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: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go 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 toil; none can express 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.
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new 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 a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were 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 remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
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 applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves 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 pursuit of the wind.
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 mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much 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 applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
18 For, in much wisdom, is much vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
