ECCLESIASTES
OR
THE PREACHER
Ecclesiastes 1 ©
Everything is vanity and unrest, both in respect of people themselves, and in respect of things which are done in the world, being altogether inconstant, transitory and full of vexation, vs. 1, 2, etc. This the Preacher proves by his own example, 12.
THE words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in 1Jerusalem.
2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; 3all is vanity.a
4What 5profitb hath a man of all his 6labour which he taketh 7under the sun?
8One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: butc the earth 9abideth for ever.
10The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and 11hasteth to his place where he arose.
12The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about 13unto the north; it whirleth about 14continually, and 15the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
Alld the 16rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is 17not full; unto the place from 18whence the rivers come, thither they 19return again.
All things 20are full of labour; man 21cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Thee thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is 22no new thing under the sun.
Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? 23it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
24There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
¶ 25I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning 26all things that are done under heaven: this 27sore travail hath God given to the sons of man 28to be exercised therewith.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and 29vexation of spirit.
That which is crooked 30cannot be made straight: and 31that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, 32I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart 33had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
And 34I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is 35vexation of spirit.
For in much wisdom 36is much 37grief: and 38he that 39increaseth knowledge increaseth 40sorrow.