(1) THE WORDs OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. (2) Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. (3) What profit hath man of all his labour Wherein he laboureth under the sun? (4) One generation passeth away, 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 circuit, 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 toil to 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 nothing new under the sun. (10) Is there a thing whereof it is said: ‘See, this is new’?—it hath been already, in the ages which were before us. (11) There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after. (12) I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. (13) And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task 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 spoke with my own heart, saying: ‘Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over 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 vexation; And he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
(1) I said in my heart: ‘Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure’; and, behold, this also was vanity. (2) I said of laughter: ‘It is mad’; and of mirth: ‘What doth it accomplish?’ (3) I searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few days of their life. (4) I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; (5) I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit; (6) I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees; (7) I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem; (8) I gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many. (9) So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead. (10) And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour. (11) Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun. (12) And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. (13) Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. (14) The wise man, his eyes are in his head; But the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all. (15) Then said I in my heart: ‘As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?’ Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. (16) For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool! (17) So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind. (18) And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me. (19) And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. (20) Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.