Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
3 What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
4 One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.
One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.
The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.
The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.
All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
8 All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.
9 That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.
That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new”? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.
11 There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.
There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is lacking cannot be counted.
That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”
I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem — yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.
And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
