MLV(i)
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
3 What profit has man from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
4 One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth abides everlasting. 5 The sun also arises and the sun goes down and hastens to its place where it arises. 6 The wind goes toward the south and turns around to the north. It turns around continually in its course and the wind returns again to its circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from where the rivers come, they go there again.
8 All things are full of weariness, man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done. And there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has been a thing of old, in the ages which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of the former things, nor will there be any remembrance of the latter that are to come, among those who will come after.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven. It is a great task that God has given to the sons of men to be exercised by it.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight and what is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 I spoke with my own heart, saying, Behold, I have become great and have increased wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
18 Because in much wisdom is much grief and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
4 One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth abides everlasting. 5 The sun also arises and the sun goes down and hastens to its place where it arises. 6 The wind goes toward the south and turns around to the north. It turns around continually in its course and the wind returns again to its circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from where the rivers come, they go there again.
8 All things are full of weariness, man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done. And there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has been a thing of old, in the ages which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of the former things, nor will there be any remembrance of the latter that are to come, among those who will come after.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven. It is a great task that God has given to the sons of men to be exercised by it.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight and what is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 I spoke with my own heart, saying, Behold, I have become great and have increased wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
18 Because in much wisdom is much grief and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.