[1] The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem. [2] "Absolute futility," says the Teacher. "Absolute futility. Everything is futile." [3] What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? [4] A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. [5] The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it hurries back to the place where it rises. [6] Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles. [7] All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. [8] All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing. [9] What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. [10] Can one say about anything, "Look, this is new"? It has already existed in the ages before us. [11] There is no remembrance of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them. [12] I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. [13] I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied. [14] I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. [15] What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. [16] I said to myself, "See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge." [17] I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind. [18] For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.
