Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 1

New American Bible	King James Bible
¹ The words of David's son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem:	¹ The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
² Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!	² Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
³ What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun?	³ What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
⁴ One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays.	⁴ One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
⁵ The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises.	⁵ The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
⁶ Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.	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.
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.	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.
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.	⁸ All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
⁹ What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun.	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.
¹⁰ Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!" has already existed in the ages that preceded us.	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.
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.	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.
¹² I, Qoheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem,	¹² I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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.	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.
¹⁴ I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind.	¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is missing cannot be supplied.	¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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";	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.
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.	¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
¹⁸ For in much wisdom there is much sorrow, and he who stores up knowledge stores up grief.	¹⁸ For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.