RWebster - Ecclesiastes - 1

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

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

1:3  What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

1:4  Onegeneration passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

1:5  The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

1:6  The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.

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

1:8  All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it : the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

1:9  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.

1:10  Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

1:11  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.

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

1:13  And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this grievous labour hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.

1:14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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

1:16  I spoke to my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

1:17  And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

1:18  For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.