AB - Ecclesiastes - 1

1:1  The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.

1:2  Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

1:3  What advantage is there to a man in all his labor that he takes under the sun?

1:4  A generation goes, and a generation comes; but the earth abides forever.

1:5  And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;

1:6  arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.

1:7  All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled. To the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.

1:8  All things are full of labor; a man will not be able to speak of them. Neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.

1:9  What is that which has been? The very thing which shall be. And what is that which has been done? The very thing which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.

1:10  Who is he that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? It has already been in the ages that have passed before us.

1:11  There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last time.

1:12  I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

1:13  And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men a burdensome task to be afflicted with.

1:14  I beheld all the works that were done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

1:15  That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and what is lacking cannot be numbered.

1:16  I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I have attained, and acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.

1:17  And my heart knew much-wisdom, knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.

1:18  For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.