Ecclesiastes 1

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

1The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.

2Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes: vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.

2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

3What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?

3What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?

3What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?

4One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.

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

4One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.

5The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.

5The sun riseth, and goeth down, and returneth to his place: and there rising again,

5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.

6The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.

6Maketh his round by the south, and turneth again to the north: the spirit goeth forward surveying all places round about, and returneth to his circuits.

6The 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.

7All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.

7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea doth not overflow: unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, to flow again.

7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.

8All 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.

8All things are hard: man cannot explain them by word. The eye is not filled with seeing, neither is the ear filled with hearing.

8All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9That 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.

9What is it that hath been? the same thing that shall be. What is it that hath been done? the same that shall be done.

9That 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.

10Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.

10Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us.

10Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

11There 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.

11There is no remembrance of former things: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end.

11There 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.

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

12I Ecclesiastes was king over Israel in Jerusalem,

12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13And 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.

13And I proposed in my mind to seek and search out wisely concerning all things that are done under the sun. This painful occupation hath God given to the children of men, to be exercised therein.

13And 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.

14I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

14I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.

14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

15The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.

15That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

16I 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.

16I have spoken in my heart, saying: Behold I am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.

16I 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.

17And 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.

17And I have given my heart to know prudence, and learning, and errors, and folly: and I have perceived that in these also there was labour, and vexation of spirit,

17And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

18Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.

18Because in much wisdom there is much indignation: and he that addeth knowledge, addeth also labour.

18For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.