Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
What advantage [is there] to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
5 Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws towards its place;
6 Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.
arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round towards the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
7 All the streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go.
All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, there they return again.
8 All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.
All things are full of labour; a man will not be able to speak [of them]: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.
9 What [is] that which hath been? it [is] that which is, and what [is] that which hath been done? it [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 There is a thing of which [one] saith: 'See this, it [is] new!' already it hath been in the ages that were before us!
[Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us.
11 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.
There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last [time].
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.
14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
I saw all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, saw, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
That which is crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.
16 I — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.
I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;
And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
18 for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.
