Ecclesiastes 1:1-16

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

²Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.

³What profit hath a man of all his toil which he toil-eth under the sun?

⁴One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth endureth for ever.

⁵The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.

⁶Going toward the south, and turning round toward the north, the wind moveth round about continually; and around its circles doth the wind return again.

⁷All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is never full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither will they continue to go.

⁸All things weary themselves constantly; man can not utter them: the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁹That which hath been, is the same which will be; and that which hath been done, is the same which will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times which were before us.

¹¹Only there is no recollection of former generations; and also of the later ones, that are to be—of these likewise there will be no recollection with those that will be still later.

¹²I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves therewith.

¹⁴I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.

¹⁵What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.

¹⁶I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much wisdom and knowledge.