Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Proclaimer, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, 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 Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, —yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
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 rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 the thing before, —nor, even of the things after, which shall be, will there be any remembrance, with them who 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 Proclaimer, 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 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,
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 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 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 straight, —and, that which is wanting, cannot be reckoned.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
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 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 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.
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 vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
