Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 1

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.	1 The words of David's son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem:
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.	2 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?	3 What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.	4 One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.	5 The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.	6 Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.	7 All rivers go to the sea, yet never does the sea become full. To the place where they go, the rivers keep on going.
8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.	8 All speech is labored; there is nothing man can say. The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear filled with hearing.
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.	9 What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.	10 Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!" has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
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.	11 There is no remembrance of the men of old; nor of those to come will there be any remembrance among those who come after them.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.	12 I, Qoheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem,
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.	13 and I applied my mind to search and investigate in wisdom all things that are done under the sun. A thankless task God has appointed for men to be busied about.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.	14 I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.	15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is missing cannot be supplied.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.	16 Though I said to myself, "Behold, I have become great and stored up wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my mind has broad experience of wisdom and knowledge";
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.	17 yet when I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly, I learned that this also is a chase after wind.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.	18 For in much wisdom there is much sorrow, and he who stores up knowledge stores up grief.