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Ecclesiastes 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 a man of all his labour which he taketh under
the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but
the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his
place where he arose.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the
north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to
his circuits.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto
the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is
not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that
which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the
sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it
hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be
any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning
all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the
sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and,
behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
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 am come to great
estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in
Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and
folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth
knowledge increaseth sorrow.
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