Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Proclaimer, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
3 What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
4 Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
5 And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, —yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.
Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
6 Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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] 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.
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.
There is a thing of which [one] says: “See this, it [is] new!” Already it has been 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 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.
12 I, the Proclaimer, was king over Israel, in Jerusalem.
I, a preacher, have been 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 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.
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 have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit!
15 That which is crooked, cannot be straight, —and, that which is wanting, cannot be reckoned.
A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to 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 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.
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 give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] distress of spirit;
18 For, in much wisdom, is much vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
