ECCLESIASTES
CHAPTER 1
1 The words of Ecclesiastes*, son of David, king of Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes; vanity of vanities, and all things be vanity.
3 What hath a man more[over] of all his travail, by which he travaileth under the sun?
4 A generation passeth away, [and] another generation cometh; but the earth standeth without end.
5 The sun riseth [up], and goeth down, and turneth again to his place; and there it riseth again,
6 and compasseth by the south, and turneth again to the north. The spirit compassing all things goeth about, and turneth again into his circles.
7 All floods enter into the sea, and the sea floweth not over the marks set of God; the floods turn again to the place from whence they come forth, that they flow [out] again.
8 All things be hard; a man may not declare those things by word; the eye is not filled by sight, neither the ear is filled by hearing.
9 What is that thing that was, that that shall come? What is that thing that is made, that that shall be made? Nothing under the sun is new,
10 neither any man may say, Lo! this thing is new; for now it went before in worlds, that were before us.
11 Mind of the former things is not, but soothly neither thinking of those things, that shall come afterward, shall be at them that shall come in the last time.
12 I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
13 and I purposed in my soul to seek and ensearch wisely of all things, that be made under the sun. God gave this evil occupation to the sons of men, that they should be occupied therein.
14 I saw all things that be made under the sun, and lo! all things be vanity and torment of spirit.
15 Wayward men be amended of hard; and the number of fools is great without end.
16 I spake in mine heart, and I said, Lo! I am made great, and I passed in wisdom all men, that were before me in Jerusalem; and my soul saw many things wisely, and I learned.
17 And I gave mine heart, that I should know prudence and doctrine, and errors and folly. And I knew that in these things also was travail and torment of spirit;
18 for in much wisdom is much indignation, and he that increaseth knowing, increaseth also travail.
* CHAPTER 1:1 That is, of Solomon, for ‘Ecclesiastes’ is said, ‘a speaker to the people’.