The words of Qohelet
1The words of Qohelet, son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2A breath of breaths, said Qohelet — a breath of breaths. Everything is a breath. 3What gain has a man from all his toil, the toil he toils at under the sun? 4A generation goes and a generation comes, and the earth stands forever. 5The sun rises and the sun sets, and it pants back to its place, and there it rises again. 6Going to the south, circling to the north, round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7All the streams run to the sea, and the sea is never full; to the place where the streams run, there they return to run again. 8All things are wearisome; no one is able to say it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. 10Is there a thing of which one says, “Look, this is new”? It was here already, in the ages before us. 11There is no remembrance of those who came first, and of those who come after there will be no remembrance either, among those who come later still.
What I set my heart to search out
12I, Qohelet, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13And I gave my heart to search out and to explore with wisdom everything that is done under heaven. It is a grievous business that God has given the sons of man to be busied with. 14I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look: it is all a breath and a chasing after wind. 15What is twisted cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be counted. 16I said in my heart, “Look, I have grown great and added wisdom beyond anyone who was over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.” 17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I came to know that this too is a chasing after wind. 18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and whoever adds knowledge adds pain.
