ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 1

1     ś 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     ś [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     ś 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     ś 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.

HOME | PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER