1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 “Utterly meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

5 The sun rises, and the sun sets, and it hurries back to where it rises.

The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.

The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place where the streams come from, there they return again.

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

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 anything of which one can say, 'Look! This is something new'? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.

Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.

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 Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 I set my heart to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a burdensome task God has given to the human race to occupy themselves with!

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

14 I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun; they are all meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

16 I said to myself, 'Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled Jerusalem before me. I have experienced much wisdom and knowledge.'

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

17 Then I set my heart to understand wisdom, as well as madness and folly, but I learned that this too is a chasing after the wind.

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 with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.