Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 1

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Composition of Qoheleth son of David, king in Jerusalem.	1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
2 Sheer futility, Qoheleth says. Sheer futility: everything is futile!	2 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.
3 What profit can we show for al our toil, toiling under the sun?	3 What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?
4 A generation goes, a generation comes, yet the earth stands firm for ever.	4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth standeth for ever.
5 The sun rises, the sun sets; then to its place it speeds and there it rises.	5 The sun riseth, and goeth down, and returneth to his place: and there rising again,
6 Southward goes the wind, then turns to the north; it turns and turns again; then back to its circling goesthe wind.	6 Maketh his round by the south, and turneth again to the north: the spirit goeth forward surveying all places round about, and returneth to his circuits.
7 Into the sea go al the rivers, and yet the sea is never fil ed, and stil to their goal the rivers go.	7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea doth not overflow: unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, to flow again.
8 Al things are wearisome. No one can say that eyes have not had enough of seeing, ears their fil ofhearing.	8 All things are hard: man cannot explain them by word. The eye is not filled with seeing, neither is the ear filled with hearing.
9 What was, wil be again, what has been done, wil be done again, and there is nothing new under thesun!	9 What is it that hath been? the same thing that shall be. What is it that hath been done? the same that shall be done.
10 Take anything which people acclaim as being new: it existed in the centuries preceding us.	10 Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us.
11 No memory remains of the past, and so it wil be for the centuries to come -- they will not beremembered by their successors.	11 There is no remembrance of former things: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end.
12 I, Qoheleth, have reigned over Israel in Jerusalem.	12 I Ecclesiastes was king over Israel in Jerusalem,
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!	13 And I proposed in my mind to seek and search out wisely concerning all things that are done under the sun. This painful occupation hath God given to the children of men, to be exercised therein.
14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun: how futile it al is, mere chasing after the wind!	14 I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
15 What is twisted cannot be straightened, what is not there cannot be counted.	15 The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.
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.	16 I have spoken in my heart, saying: Behold I am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.
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.	17 And I have given my heart to know prudence, and learning, and errors, and folly: and I have perceived that in these also there was labour, and vexation of spirit,
18 Much wisdom, much grief; the more knowledge, the more sorrow.	18 Because In much wisdom there is much indignation: and he that addeth knowledge, addeth also labour.