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. {hasteth: Heb. panteth}
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. {return...: Heb. return to go}
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. {to be...: or, to afflict them}
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. {that which is wanting: Heb. defect}
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. {had...: Heb. had seen much}
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.