Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 1

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Composition of Qoheleth son of David, king in Jerusalem.	1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Sheer futility, Qoheleth says. Sheer futility: everything is futile!	2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit can we show for al our toil, toiling under the sun?	3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which 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 abideth for ever.
5 The sun rises, the sun sets; then to its place it speeds and there it rises.	5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 Southward goes the wind, then turns to the north; it turns and turns again; then back to its circling goesthe wind.	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 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 is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return 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 full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor 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 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 Take anything which people acclaim as being new: it existed in the centuries preceding 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 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; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 I, Qoheleth, have reigned over Israel in Jerusalem.	12 I the Preacher 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 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 everything that is done under the sun: how futile it al is, mere chasing after the 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 twisted cannot be straightened, what is not there cannot be counted.	15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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 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 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 gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 Much wisdom, much grief; the more knowledge, the more sorrow.	18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.