| Chapter 1 |
1 |
Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
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2 |
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
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3 |
What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
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4 |
A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
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5 |
Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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12 |
I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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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.
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14 |
I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
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15 |
A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
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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.
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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;
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18 |
for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
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