1 The words of the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What is the profit to a man in all his labor which he labors under the sun?
4 A generation passes away, and a generation comes; but the earth stands perpetually.
5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, panting in a hurry to its place where it rises again.
6 The wind goes toward the south, and it turns around to the north; it whirls around continually; and the wind returns according to its circuits.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, there they return again.
8 All things are full of labor; man is not able to utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been in the days of antiquity, which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things, and also no remembrance of following things of what will be; nor a remembrance of those things by those who follow afterwards.
12 I, the preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I have given my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that which is done under the heavens. It is an evil task which God has given to the sons of men to be busied with.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and striving of spirit.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is lacking cannot be numbered.
16 I spoke within my own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have gathered more wisdom than all who have been before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart has seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I have perceived that this also is striving of spirit.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.