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1:1  The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
1:2  “Vanity of vanities!” says the Teacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!”
1:3  What does a person gain in all his toil with which he toils under the sun?
1:4  A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever.
1:5  The sun rises, and the sun goes down; to its place it hurries, and there it rises again.
1:6  The wind goes to the south and goes around to the north; around and around it goes, and on its circuit the wind returns.
1:7  All the streams flow to the sea, but the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow.
1:8  All things toil continuously; no one can ever finish describing this. The eye is never satisfied with seeing, and the ear is never filled with hearing.
1:9  What has been—it is what will be; what has been done—it is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
1:10  There is a thing of which it is said, “Look at this! This is new!” But it already existed in ages past before us.
1:11  There is neither remembrance of former generations, nor will there be remembrance of future generations.
1:12  I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
1:13  I applied my mind to seek and to search by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. It is a grievous task God has given to humans.
1:14  I saw all the works that are done under the sun. Look! Everything is vanity and chasing wind.
1:15  What is twisted cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
1:16  I said to myself, “Look! I have become great and have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has preceded me over Jerusalem. I have acquired a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.”
1:17  So I dedicated myself to learn about wisdom and to learn about delusion and folly. However, I discovered that this also is chasing wind.
1:18  For in much wisdom is much frustration, and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.