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¹ The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.² Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.³ What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun?

⁴ [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.⁵ The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.⁶ The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.⁷ All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.⁸ All things [are] full of labor; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁹ The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.¹⁰ Is there [any] thing of which it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.¹¹ [There is] no remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.

¹² I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.¹³ And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.¹⁵ [That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.¹⁶ I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.¹⁸ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.