| Chapter 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. |
