1 W ords of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

These are the words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 V anity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole vanity.

“It is of no use,” says the Preacher. “It is of no use! All is for nothing.”

3 W hat advantage to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?

What does a man get for all his work which he does under the sun?

4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.

People die and people are born, but the earth stays forever.

5 A lso, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.

The sun rises and the sun sets, and travels in a hurry to the place where it rises.

6 G oing 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.

The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north. It goes around and around, and returns again on its way.

7 A ll 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.

All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. And they return again to the place from which the rivers flow.

8 A ll 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.

All things are tiring. Man is not able to tell about them. The eye never has enough to see, and the ear is never filled with what it hears.

9 W hat that which hath been? it that which is, and what that which hath been done? it that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.

What has been is what will be. And what has been done is what will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

10 T here is a thing of which saith: `See this, it new!' already it hath been in the ages that were before us!

Is there anything of which one might say, “See, this is new”? It has already been there since long before us.

11 T here is not a remembrance of former; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.

No one remembers the things that happened before. And no one will remember the things that will happen in the future among those who will come later. Looking for Wisdom Is like Trying to Catch the Wind

12 I , a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 A nd I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

And I set my mind to look for wisdom to learn about all that has been done under heaven. It is a hard work which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.

14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole vanity and vexation of spirit!

I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun. And see, it is all for nothing. It is like trying to catch the wind.

15 A crooked thing is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.

What is not straight cannot be made straight. What is not there cannot be numbered.

16 I -- 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.

I said to myself, “I have received more wisdom than all who were over Jerusalem before me. My mind has seen much wisdom and much learning.”

17 A nd I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this vexation of spirit;

And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know what is crazy and foolish. I saw that this also is like trying to catch the wind.

18 f or, in abundance of wisdom abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'

Because in much wisdom there is much trouble. And he who gets much learning gets much sorrow.