Ecclesiastes 1

All Is Vanity

1The words
of the Preacher,
^[a] the son of David,
king in Jerusalem.

2Vanity
^[b] of vanities,
says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities!

3What does
man gain
by all the toil
at which he toils
under the sun?

4A generation goes,
and a generation comes,
but the earth
remains
forever.

5The sun rises,
and the sun
goes down,
and hastens^[c] to the place
where it rises.

6The wind blows
to the south
and goes around
to the north;
around and around
goes the wind,
and on its circuits
the wind returns.

7All streams run
to the sea,
but the sea
is not full;
to the place
where the streams flow,
there they flow again.

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

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

10Is there
a thing of which
it is said,
"See, this is new"?
It has been
already
in the ages
before us.

11There is
no remembrance
of former things,^[d]
nor will there
be any remembrance
of later things^[e] yet to be
among those
who come after.

The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I
the Preacher
have been king
over Israel
in Jerusalem.

13And I applied
my heart
^[f] to seek and
to search out
by wisdom
all that is
done
under heaven.
It is
an unhappy business
that God
has given
to the children
of man
to be busy with.

14I
have seen
everything that
is done
under the sun,
and behold,
all is vanity
and a striving
after wind.^[g]

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

16I said
in my heart,
"I have acquired
great wisdom,
surpassing all
who were
over Jerusalem
before me,
and my heart has
had great experience
of wisdom and knowledge."

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

18For in much wisdom
is much vexation,
and he
who increases knowledge
increases sorrow.