KJV Ecclesiastes Chapter 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in 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 ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 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. 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. 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 whereof 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 sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 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 wanting cannot be numbered. 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. 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.