Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.
All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
9 The thing that hath 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.
Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
11 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.
No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this grievous labour hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.
I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is lacking cannot be numbered.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
16 I spoke to my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
