Ecclesiastes 1
1
1Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
3What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
4A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
5Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
6Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.
7All the streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go.
8All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.
9What [is] that which hath been? it [is] that which is, and what [is] that which hath been done? it [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
10There is a thing of which [one] saith: ‘See this, it [is] new!’ already it hath been in the ages that were before us!
11There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
12I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
14I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
15A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
16I — I spake with my heart, saying, ‘I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.
17And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;
18for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.’
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Ecclesiastes 1: YLT98
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Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 1
1
1The words of Qoheleth,#This Hebrew word means Assembler or Convener, an appellative. The author could have been Shelomoh, or else some post-exilic writer. son of Dawiḏ, sovereign in Yerushalayim.
2“Futility! Futility!” says Qoheleth. “Futility, futility, all is futile!”
3What does man gain from all his labour in which he toils under the sun?
4A generation passes away, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever.
5The sun also rises, and the sun sets, and hurries back to the place where it arose.
6Going to the south, and turning round to the north, turning, turning, and on its rounds the wind returns.
7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea never overflows. To the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.
8All matters are wearisome, no one is able to speak of it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9What has been is what shall be, what has been done is what shall be done, and there is no new matter under the sun.
10Is there a matter of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It was here already, long ago.
11There is no remembrance of former ones, nor is there any remembrance of those that are to come by those who come later on.
12I, Qoheleth, was sovereign over Yisra’ĕl in Yerushalayim.
13And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens; this evil task Elohim has given to the sons of man, to be humbled by it.
14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun. And see, all was futile and feeding on wind.
15The crooked could not be straightened, and what is lacking could not be counted.
16So I spoke to my heart, saying, “See, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Yerushalayim. And my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.”
17And I set my heart to know wisdom – and to know madness and folly. I know that this too is feeding on wind.
18For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases suffering.
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