Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Proclaimer, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.
3 What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh 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 riseth, and goeth down, and returneth to his place: and there rising again,
6 Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
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, 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 doth not overflow: unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, to flow 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 hard: man cannot explain them by word. The eye is not filled with seeing, neither is 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.
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 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.
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, 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: 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, the Proclaimer, was king over Israel, in Jerusalem.
I Ecclesiastes 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 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 saw all the works which were done under the sun, —and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
I have seen all things 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.
The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.
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 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 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 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 much wisdom, is much vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
Because In much wisdom there is much indignation: and he that addeth knowledge, addeth also labour.
