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1:1  The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
1:2  Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
1:3  What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?
1:4  One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth abides forever.
1:5  The sun also arises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to its place where it arose.
1:6  The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to its circuit.
1:7  All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from where the rivers come, there they return again.
1:8  All things are full of weariness; man cannot express it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
1:9  The thing that has 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.
1:10  Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.
1:11  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.
1:12  I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
1:13  And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this severe burden has God given to the sons of man to be afflicted with.
1:14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and like grasping the wind.
1:15  That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is lacking cannot be numbered.
1:16  I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to greatness, 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.
1:17  And I set my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is like grasping the wind.
1:18  For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.