| Chapter 1 |
1 |
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. -
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2 |
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity. -
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3 |
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun? -
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4 |
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever. -
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5 |
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth. -
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6 |
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits. -
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7 |
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again. -
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8 |
All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. -
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9 |
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun. -
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10 |
Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us. -
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11 |
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards. -
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12 |
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. -
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13 |
And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith. -
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14 |
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind. -
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15 |
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. -
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16 |
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge. -
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17 |
And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind. -
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18 |
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. -
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