Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 1

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The words of David's son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem:	1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!	2 Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity!
3 What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun?	3 What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?
4 One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays.	4 A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever.
5 The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises.	5 The sun rises and sets; it returns to its place, and from there, being born again,
6 Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.	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.
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 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.
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 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.
9 What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun.	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.
10 Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!" has already existed in the ages that preceded us.	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.
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 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.
12 I, Qoheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem,	12 I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel at 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 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.
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 that is done under the sun, and behold: all is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is missing cannot be supplied.	15 The perverse are unwilling to be corrected, and the number of the foolish is boundless.
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 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.
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 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.
18 For in much wisdom there is much sorrow, and he who stores up knowledge stores up grief.	18 Because of this, with much wisdom there is also much anger. And whoever adds knowledge, also adds hardship.