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 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
7 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.
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 may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its 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 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.
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 anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time 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 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.
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 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.
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 which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for 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 bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
16 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.
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 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.
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 Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
