|
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. |
