2"Emptiness of emptiness," says the Preacher, "emptiness of emptiness. Everything is empty."
3What does a man gain from all the work he toils at under the sun?
4One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth stays for ever.
5The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries back to the place where it rose.
6The wind goes towards the south, and turns about to the north. It whirls about again and again, and the wind comes back along its rounds.
7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place the rivers come from, there they go back again.
8All things are full of labour, more than anyone can tell. The eye is never satisfied with seeing, and the ear is never filled with hearing.
9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
10Is there anything of which it may be said, "Look, this is new"? It was here already, long ago, in the times before us.
11There is no remembering of the things that came before. And the things that are still to come will not be remembered either by those who come after.
12I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13I gave my heart to searching out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. This heavy task God has given to the sons of man, to keep them busy with it.
14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and look, everything is empty and a trouble of spirit.
15What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is missing cannot be counted.
16I talked with my own heart and said, "Look, I have become great, and I have gained more wisdom than all who were in Jerusalem before me. Yes, my heart has known much wisdom and knowledge."
17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and foolishness. I saw that this also is a trouble of spirit.
18For in much wisdom there is much grief, and the one who adds to his knowledge adds to his sorrow.