Ecclesiastes

¹ The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

² “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

³ In which he labors under the sun?

⁴ But the earth stands forever.

⁵ And hastening to its place it rises there again.

⁶ Then circling toward the north, The wind goes circling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.

⁷ Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers go, There they continually go.

⁸ Man is not able to speak of it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

⁹ And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰ “See this, it is new”? Already it has been for ages Which were before us.

¹¹ And also of the later things which will be, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.

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

¹³ And I gave my heart to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous endeavor which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

¹⁵ What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶ I spoke within my heart, saying, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my heart has seen an abundance of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and simpleminded folly; I came to know that this also is striving after wind.

¹⁸ Because in much wisdom there is much vexation, and whoever increases knowledge increases pain.