Ecclesiastes 1

1^*The words of the ^aPreacher, the son of David, ^bking in Jerusalem.

^2cVanity of vanities, saith the ^aPreacher, ^cvanity of vanities; ^dall is ^evanity. ^3fWhat profit hath a man ^gof all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

^4hOne generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but ⁱthe earth abideth for ever. ^5kThe sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and ^†hasteth to his place where he arose. ^6lThe wind goeth toward ^mthe south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. ⁷ⁿAll the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place ^ofrom whence the rivers come, thither they ^†return again. ⁸All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: ^pthe eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. ^9qThe 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. ¹⁰Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been ^ralready of old time, which was before us. ¹¹There is ^sno remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

¹²I the ^aPreacher was ^tking over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³And ^uI gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done ^vunder heaven: ^wthis sore ^xtravail hath God given to the sons of man ^||to be exercised therewith. ¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is ^eyvanity and ^yvexation of spirit. ^15zThat which is crooked cannot be made straight: and ^†that which is wanting cannot be numbered. ¹⁶I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, ^aI am come to great estate, and have ^agotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart ^†had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. ¹⁷And ^bI gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know ^cmadness and ^dfolly: I perceived that this also is ^evexation of spirit. ¹⁸For ^fin much wisdom is much ^ggrief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth ^gsorrow.