| Chapter 1 |
1 |
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. |
2 |
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity. |
3 |
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun? |
4 |
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever. |
5 |
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth. |
6 |
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits. |
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. |
8 |
All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. |
9 |
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun. |
10 |
Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us. |
11 |
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards. |
12 |
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. |
13 |
And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith. |
14 |
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind. |
15 |
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. |
16 |
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge. |
17 |
And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind. |
18 |
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. |