| 1 | The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. |
| 2 | Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. |
| 3 | What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun? |
| 4 | One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. |
| 5 | The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. |
| 6 | The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits. |
| 7 | All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. |
| 8 | All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. |
| 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 | Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it hath 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 grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it. |
| 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 wanting cannot be numbered. |
| 16 | I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: and 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 increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. |