1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
3 What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
5 The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
6 The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
7 All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
8 All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.
9 That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.
11 There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.
14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
16 I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem--yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
18 Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
1 以下是传道者， 就是在耶路撒冷作王、大卫的儿子所说的话。
2 传道者说： 虚空的虚空。虚空的虚空， 一切都是虚空。
3 人的一切劳碌， 就是他在日光之下的劳碌， 对自己有什么益处呢？
4 一代过去， 一代又来， 地却永远存在。
5 太阳升起， 太阳落下， 匆忙回到它上升之处。
6 风向南刮， 又往北转， 循环周行， 旋转不息。
7 江河向海里流， 海却不满溢； 江河之水归回本源， 循环流转。
8 万事都令人厌倦， 人说， 说不尽； 眼看， 看不饱； 耳听， 听不足。
9 已有的事必再有， 作过的事必再作； 日光之下并无新事。
10 有什么事人可以说： "看啊！ 这是新的"？其实， 很久之前已经有了， 在我们之前早就有了。
11 以前的事， 无人记念； 将来的事， 后来的人也不追忆。
12 那时， 我传道者在耶路撒冷作以色列的王。
13 我曾用智慧专心寻求查究天下所发生的一切事； 原来 神给予世人的， 是劳苦的担子， 叫他们为此烦恼。
14 我看过日光之下所发生的一切事， 不料， 一切都是虚空， 都是捕风。
15 弯曲的， 不能弄直； 缺少的， 不能数算。
16 我自己心里说： "我得了极大的智慧， 胜过所有在我以前统治耶路撒冷的人； 我见识了许多智慧与知识。"
17 我又专心究察智慧和知识， 狂妄和愚昧， 才知道这也是捕风。
18 因为多有智慧， 就多有烦恼； 加增知识， 就加增痛苦。