Chapter 1

¹ The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.

Eccl 1:1

² Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher,

Eccl 1:2

³ What advantage [is there] to a man

Eccl 1:3

⁴ A generation goes, and a generation comes:

Eccl 1:4

⁵ And the sun arises, and the sun goes down

Eccl 1:5

⁶ Arising there it proceeds southward,

Eccl 1:6

⁷ All the rivers run into the sea;

Eccl 1:7

⁸ All things are full of labor;

Eccl 1:8

⁹ What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be:

Eccl 1:9

¹⁰ [Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new?

Eccl 1:10

¹¹ There is no memorial to the first things;

Eccl 1:11

¹² I the Preacher

Eccl 1:12

¹³ And I applied my heart to seek out

Eccl 1:13

¹⁴ I beheld all the works

Eccl 1:14

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight:

Eccl 1:15

¹⁶ I spoke in my heart, saying,

Eccl 1:16

¹⁷ And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge,

Eccl 1:17

¹⁸ For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge;

Eccl 1:18