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¹ The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.² Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.³ What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?

⁴ One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.⁵ The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.⁶ The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.⁷ All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.⁸ All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁹ That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.¹⁰ Is there a thing whereof men say, See, this is new? it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.¹¹ There is no remembrance of the former generations; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter generations that are to come, among those that shall come after.

¹² I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. ¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. ¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. ¹⁷ And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind. ¹⁸ For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.