Ecclesiastes
Chapter 1
Ec:1:1: The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ec:1:2: Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ec:1:3: What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Ec:1:4: One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
Ec:1:5: The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
Ec:1:6: The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
Ec:1:7: All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
Ec:1:8: All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Ec:1:9: 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.
Ec:1:10: Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Ec:1:11: 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.
Ec:1:12: I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ec:1:13: And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ec:1:14: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ec:1:15: That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ec:1:16: I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ec:1:17: And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Ec:1:18: For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Chapter 2
Ec:2:1: I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
Ec:2:2: I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
Ec:2:3: I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
Ec:2:4: I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
Ec:2:5: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
Ec:2:6: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
Ec:2:7: I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
Ec:2:8: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
Ec:2:9: So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Ec:2:10: And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
Ec:2:11: Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
