Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the 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 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 man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 One generation goeth, 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 ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
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 unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again 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; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go 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 weariness; 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 That which 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.
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 whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were 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 former [generations]; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among 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 applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
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 a striving after 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 made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath 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 applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after 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 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.
