Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1 ©

1 The Preacher sheweth that all things here below are vain, 4 because the creatures are restless in their courses, 9 and there is nothing new brought forth, but the old things are forgotten. 12 He sheweth it by his own experience to be so in the studies of wisdom.

1

THE words of athe Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2

bVanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

3

What cprofit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

4

dOne generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: ebut the earth abideth for ever.

5

The fsun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and 1hasteth to his place where he arose.

f Ps. 19.5,6.
6

The gwind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

7

hAll the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they 2return again.

8

iAll things are full of labour; man cannot utter it : jthe eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9

The kthing 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? lit hath been already of old time, which was before us.

11

mThere 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

nI the Preacher was oking over Israel in Jerusalem.

o ch. 2.7,9.
13

And pI gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: qthis *sore *travail hath God given to the sons of man 3to be exercised therewith.

14

rI have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is svanity and *vexation of spirit.

s ch. 4.4.
15

That which is tcrooked cannot be made straight: and that which is 4wanting cannot be numbered.

16

I ucommuned with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great *estate, and have *gotten vmore wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my wheart 5had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

17

And xI gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is *vexation of spirit.

18

yFor in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.