1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
1:2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
1:3 What profit has man of all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
1:4 One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.
1:5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.
1:6 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.
1:7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
1:8 All things are full of weariness; man can't utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
1:9 That which has been is that which will be; and that which has been done is that which will be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
1:10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
1:11 There is no remembrance of the former [generations]; neither will there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] who are to come, among those who will come after.
1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
1:13 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 with.
1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, look, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
1:15 That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is wanting can't be numbered.
1:16 I communed with my own heart, saying, Look, I have gotten myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem; yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
1:17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.