Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Vanity of vanities, saith 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 profit hath a man by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth for ever.
5 Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
The sun riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
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.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth 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, yet the sea is not full; to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return.
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 words become weary; man cannot express it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear 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.
The thing that hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that 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!
Is there any thing of which one may say, “Behold, this is new”? It was long ago, in the times which were 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 remembrance of former things, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel at 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 gave my mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.
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 things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after wind.
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 cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot 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 communed with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath seen much 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 I gave my mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after wind.
18 for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
