Ecclesiastes 1

1 These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

2 “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”

3 What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?

4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.

6 The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.

7 All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.

8 All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.

9 What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.

11 There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!

14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

17 So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.

18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.

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.

1 These are the sayings of Ecclesiastes, the son of David king of Jerusalem.

2 It is all vanity, said the preacher, it is all vanity.

3 What hath man more of all his toil that he hath under the sun?

4 One generation passeth away, and another cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

5 The sun riseth, and setteth, and returneth to his place, and riseth there again.

6 The wind goeth toward the south, and cometh round about the north, and returneth again to the place where it began.

7 All the waters go into the sea, neither is the sea filled: in the place whence they flow, they flow again.

8 All the work is so full of trouble, that no man is able to speak. The eye never sees enough, and the ear never hears enough.

9 What is it that is come to pass? The very thing that is hereafter to come to pass. What is that which is done? The same that shall be done hereafter: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 Doth any thing happen of which it may be said, Behold, this is new? For it was also done before, in times past, which were before us.

11 They remember not those things which are before: neither shall they remember those things which are after in those things which are hereafter.

12 I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I gave my heart to search and search wisely all that is done under heaven. God has given the children of men such unhappy trouble that they have to toil in it.

14 I looked upon all that is done under the sun, and, behold, it was all vain and pitiful.

15 crooked cannot become bad, nor the fault be counted.

16 And I said in mine heart, Behold, I am become glorious, and have more wisdom than all that were before me in Jerusalem: and my heart hath learned and experienced many things.

17 And I set my heart to learn wisdom, and folly, and prudence. But I perceived that these things are trouble.

18 For where there is much wisdom, there is much sorrow: and he that teacheth much, suffereth much.