Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 1

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW JERUSALEM
1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem.	1 Composition of Qoheleth son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity!	2 Sheer futility, Qoheleth says. Sheer futility: everything is futile!
3 What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?	3 What profit can we show for al our toil, toiling under the sun?
4 A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever.	4 A generation goes, a generation comes, yet the earth stands firm for ever.
5 The sun rises and sets; it returns to its place, and from there, being born again,	5 The sun rises, the sun sets; then to its place it speeds and there it rises.
6 it circles through the south, and arcs toward the north. The spirit continues on, illuminating everything in its circuit, and turning again in its cycle.	6 Southward goes the wind, then turns to the north; it turns and turns again; then back to its circling goesthe wind.
7 All rivers enter into the sea, and the sea does not overflow. To the place from which the rivers go out, they return, so that they may flow again.	7 Into the sea go al the rivers, and yet the sea is never fil ed, and stil to their goal the rivers go.
8 Such things are difficult; man is not able to explain them with words. The eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear fulfilled by hearing.	8 Al things are wearisome. No one can say that eyes have not had enough of seeing, ears their fil ofhearing.
9 What is it that has existed? The same shall exist in the future. What is it that has been done? The same shall continue to be done.	9 What was, wil be again, what has been done, wil be done again, and there is nothing new under thesun!
10 There is nothing new under the sun. Neither is anyone able to say: “Behold, this is new!” For it has already been brought forth in the ages that were before us.	10 Take anything which people acclaim as being new: it existed in the centuries preceding us.
11 There is no remembrance of the former things. Indeed, neither shall there be any record of past things in the future, for those who will exist at the very end.	11 No memory remains of the past, and so it wil be for the centuries to come -- they will not beremembered by their successors.
12 I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel at Jerusalem.	12 I, Qoheleth, have reigned over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I was determined in my mind to seek and to investigate wisely, concerning all that is done under the sun. God has given this very difficult task to the sons of men, so that they may be occupied by it.	13 Wisely I have applied myself to investigation and exploration of everything that happens under heaven.What a wearisome task God has given humanity to keep us busy!
14 I have seen all that is done under the sun, and behold: all is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit.	14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun: how futile it al is, mere chasing after the wind!
15 The perverse are unwilling to be corrected, and the number of the foolish is boundless.	15 What is twisted cannot be straightened, what is not there cannot be counted.
16 I have spoken in my heart, saying: “Behold, I have achieved greatness, and I have surpassed all the wise who were before me in Jerusalem.” And my mind has contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.	16 I thought to myself: I have acquired a greater stock of wisdom than anyone before me in Jerusalem. Imyself have mastered every kind of wisdom and science.
17 And I have dedicated my heart, so that I may know prudence and doctrine, and also error and foolishness. Yet I recognize that, in these things also, there is hardship, and affliction of the spirit.	17 I have applied myself to understanding philosophy and science, stupidity and fol y, and I now realisethat all this too is chasing after the wind.
18 Because of this, with much wisdom there is also much anger. And whoever adds knowledge, also adds hardship.	18 Much wisdom, much grief; the more knowledge, the more sorrow.