1:1 The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of
Jerusalem.
1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities;
all [is] vanity.
1:3 What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh
under the sun?
1:4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation
cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
1:5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to
his place where he arose.
1:6 The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the
north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth
again according to its circuits.
1:7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full;
to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return
again.
1:8 All things [are] full of labor; man cannot utter [it]: the
eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with
hearing.
1:9 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.
1:10 Is there [any] thing of which it may be said, See, this
[is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before
us.
1:11 [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.
1:12 I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom
concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this
grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be
exercised with it.
1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and
behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
1:15 [That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that
which is wanting cannot be numbered.
1:16 I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to
great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all [they] that
have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great
experience of wisdom and knowledge.
1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and
folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
1:18 For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth
knowledge increaseth sorrow.
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