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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 profit has man of all his labor wherein he labors under the sun?

⁴ One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever.⁵ The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.⁶ The wind goes toward the south, and turns about to the north; it turns about continually in its course, and the wind returns again to its circuits.⁷ All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.⁸ All things are full of weariness; man can't 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 no new thing under the sun.¹⁰ Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been long ago, 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 an intense travail that God has given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, look, all is vanity and a striving after wind.¹⁵ That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is wanting can't be numbered.¹⁶ I communed with my own heart, saying, Look, I have gotten myself great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yes, my heart has 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 increases knowledge increases sorrow.