1 The words of a the Preacher, [1] the son of David, b king in Jerusalem.
2 c Vanity [2] of vanities, says a the Preacher,
c vanity of vanities! d All is vanity.
3 e What f does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but g the earth remains forever.
5 h The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens [3] to the place where it rises.
6 i The wind blows to the south
and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All j streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
8 All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
k the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 l What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been m already
in the ages before us.
11 There is no n remembrance of former things, [4]
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things [5] yet to be
among those who come after.
12 I o the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I p applied my heart [6] to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy q business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is r vanity and a striving after wind. [7]
15 s What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great t wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I u applied my heart to know wisdom and to know v madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but r a striving after wind.
18 For w in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
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