Ecclesiastes 1
1 [the] words of Teacher [the] son of David king in Jerusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 Futility of futilities he said Teacher futility of futilities everything [is] futility.
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
3 What? profit [belongs] to humankind in all toil his that he toils under the sun.
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation [is] going and a generation [is] coming and the earth for ever [is] continuing.
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5 And it rises the sun and it goes the sun and to place its [is] panting [is] rising it there.
The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
6 [it is] going To [the] south and [it is] circling to [the] north circling around - circling around [is] going the wind and on circuits its [is] returning the wind.
The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
7 All the rivers [are] going to the sea and the sea not it [is] full to [the] place where the rivers [are] going there they [are] returning to go.
All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.
8 All things [are] wearisome not he is able anyone to speak [them] not it is satisfied an eye by seeing and not it is filled an ear from hearing.
All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
9 Whatever it has been it [is] which will be and whatever (which has been done *L(abh)*) it [is] which will be done and there not [is] any new [thing] under the sun.
What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10 [is] there? Anything that anyone will say see this [is] new it already it has been to ancient times which it was from to before us.
Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
11 There not [is] remembrance of the former [things] and also of the subsequent [things] that they will be not it will be of them remembrance with who will be to the later [time].
There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
12 I Teacher I was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave heart my to study and to discover by wisdom on all that it has been done under the heavens it - [is] a task of evil [which] he has given God to [the] children of humankind to be busy with it.
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun and there! everything [is] futility and striving of wind.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
15 [something] bent Not it is able to become straight and something missing not it is able to be numbered.
What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I have spoken I with heart my saying I here! I have made great and I have increased wisdom above every [one] who he was before me over Jerusalem and heart my it has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
17 And I gave! heart my to know wisdom and to know madness and folly I knew that also this it [is] a striving of wind.
So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
18 For [is] in abundance of wisdom abundance of frustration so someone may increase knowledge he will increase pain.
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
