| 1. | Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: |
| 2. | Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole `is' vanity. |
| 3. | What advantage `is' to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun? |
| 4. | A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing. |
| 5. | Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there. |
| 6. | Going 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. |
| 7. | All 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. |
| 8. | All 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. |
| 9. | What `is' that which hath been? it `is' that which is, and what `is' that which hath been done? it `is' that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun. |
| 10. | There is a thing of which `one' saith: `See this, it `is' new!' already it hath been in the ages that were before us! |
| 11. | There is not a remembrance of former `generations'; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last. |
| 12. | I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. |
| 13. | And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It `is' a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. |
| 14. | I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit! |
| 15. | A crooked thing `one' is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to 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. |
| 17. | And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this `is' vexation of spirit; |
| 18. | for, in abundance of wisdom `is' abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.' |