Ecclesiastes 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

UKJV⁽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 a man of all his labour which he takes under the sun? ⁴ One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth abides for ever. ⁵ The sun also arises, and the sun goes down, and hastes to his place where he arose. ⁶ The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits. 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 things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. ⁹ The thing that has 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 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us. 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 the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. ¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. ¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is lacking cannot be numbered. ¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have got more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 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 is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.