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 labour 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 toward 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 which the rivers come, there 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 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 labour 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 lacking cannot be numbered.

16. I spoke to 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.