The words of the aPreacher
, the son
of David
, king
in Jerusalem
.
" 1 aVanity of vanities
," says
the Preacher
, " 1Vanity
of vanities
! All
is 2vanity
."
aWhat advantage
does man
have in all
his work
Which
he does
under
the sun
?
A generation goes
and a generation
comes
, But the aearth
1remains
forever
.
Also, athe sun rises
and the sun
sets
; And 1hastening
to its place
it rises
there
again.
1 aBlowing toward
the south
, Then turning
toward
the north
, The wind
continues
2swirling
along
; And on its circular
courses
the wind
returns
.
All the rivers
1flow
into the sea
, Yet the sea
is not full
. To the place
where
the rivers
1flow
, There
they 1flow
again
.
All things
are wearisome
; Man
is not able
to tell
it. aThe eye
is not satisfied
with seeing
, Nor
is the ear
filled
with hearing
.
aThat which has been
is that which
will be, And that which
has been done
is that which
will be done
. So there
is nothing
new
under
the sun
.
Is there anything
of which
one might say
, "See
this
, it is new
"? Already
it has existed
for ages
Which
were before
us.
There is ano
remembrance
of 1earlier
things
; And also
of the 2later
things
which
will occur
, There will be for them no
remembrance
Among
those who
will come
2later
still.
I, the aPreacher, have been
king
over
Israel
in Jerusalem
.
And I aset my 1mind
to seek
and bexplore
by wisdom
concerning
all
that has been done
under
heaven
. It is 2a grievous
ctask
which God
has given
to the sons
of men
to be afflicted
with.
I have seen all
the works
which
have been done
under
the sun
, and behold
, all
is 1 avanity
and striving
after wind
.
What is acrooked cannot
be straightened
and what
is lacking
cannot
be counted
.
I 1said to myself
, "Behold
, I have magnified
and increased
awisdom
more
than
all
who
were over
Jerusalem
before
me; and my 2mind
has observed
3a wealth
of wisdom
and knowledge
."
And I aset my 1mind
to know
wisdom
and to bknow
madness
and folly
; I realized
that this
also
is cstriving
after wind
.
Because ain much
wisdom
there is much
grief
, and increasing
knowledge
results in increasing
pain
.