King James Version
1 ¶ The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in
Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of
vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit
hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 ¶ One generation passeth away, and another generation
cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also
ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 The wind goeth
toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth
about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7 All the rivers
run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the
rivers come, thither they return again.
8 All things are
full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor
the ear filled with hearing.
9 ¶ The thing that hath 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.
10 Is there any
thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old
time, which was before us.
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.
12 ¶ I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my
heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done
under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be
exercised therewith.
14 I have seen
all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and
vexation of spirit.
15 That which is
crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 I communed
with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, 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.
17 And I gave my
heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also
is vexation of spirit.
18 For in much
wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge
increaseth sorrow.
1 ¶ I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee
with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of
laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I sought in
mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom;
and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of
men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made me great
works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me
gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind
of fruits:
6 I made me pools
of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I got me
servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great
possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before
me:
8 I gathered me
also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of
the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the
sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great,
and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom
remained with me.
10 And whatsoever
mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart
from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion
of all my labour.
11 Then I looked
on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had
laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there
was no profit under the sun.
12 ¶ And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness,
and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which
hath been already done.
13 Then I saw
that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man's
eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived
also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in
my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was
I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For there is
no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which
now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man?
as the fool.
17 ¶ Therefore I hated life; because the work that is
wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of
spirit.
18 Yea, I hated
all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto
the man that shall be after me.
19 And who
knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he
have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed
myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 Therefore I
went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under
the sun.
21 For there is a
man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in
equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his
portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath
man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath
laboured under the sun?
23 For all his
days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh
not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 There is
nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should
make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the
hand of God.
25 For who can
eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
26 For God giveth
to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the
sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him
that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
1 ¶ To every thing there is a season, and a time
to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be
born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is
planted;
3 A time to kill,
and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast
away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to
embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get,
and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend,
and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit
hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen
the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 ¶ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also
he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that
God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that
there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that
every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the
gift of God.
14 I know that,
whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put
to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear
before him.
15 That which
hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth
that which is past.
16 ¶ And moreover I saw under the sun the place of
judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
17 I said in mine
heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there
for every purpose and for every work.
18 I said in mine
heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them,
and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
19 For that which
befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing
befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one
breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go unto
one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Who knoweth
the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth
downward to the earth?
22 Wherefore I
perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his
own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall
be after him?
1 ¶ So I returned, and considered all the oppressions
that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed,
and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power;
but they had no comforter.
2 Wherefore I
praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet
alive.
3 Yea, better is
he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen
the evil work that is done under the sun.
4 ¶ Again, I considered all travail, and every right
work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and
vexation of spirit.
5 The fool
foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
6 Better is an
handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail
and vexation of spirit.
7 ¶ Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
8 There is one
alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet
is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches;
neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of
good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
9 Two are better
than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they
fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he
falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Again, if two
lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm
alone?
12 And if one
prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not
quickly broken.
13 ¶ Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and
foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
14 For out of
prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his
kingdom becometh poor.
15 I considered
all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand
up in his stead.
16 There is no
end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that
come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is
vanity and vexation of spirit.
1 ¶ Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God,
and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they
consider not that they do evil.
2 Be not rash
with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any
thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy
words be few.
3 For a dream
cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by
multitude of words.
4 ¶ When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer
not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast
vowed.
5 Better is it
that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not thy
mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was
an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of
thine hands?
7 For in the
multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear
thou God.
8 If thou seest
the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a
province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest
regardeth; and there be higher than they.
9 ¶ Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king
himself is served by the field.
10 He that loveth
silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with
increase: this is also vanity.
11 When goods
increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the
owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
12 The sleep of a
labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the
rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 There is a
sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners
thereof to their hurt.
14 But those
riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and
there is nothing in his hand.
15 As he came
forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall
take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 And this also
is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit
hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17 All his days
also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his
sickness.
18 ¶ Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely
for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he
taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
19 Every man also
to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat
thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the
gift of God.
20 For he shall
not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of
his heart.
1 ¶ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and
it is common among men:
2 A man to whom
God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his
soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but
a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil
disease.
3 If a man beget
an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be
many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I
say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
4 For he cometh
in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with
darkness.
5 Moreover he
hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
6 Yea, though he
live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to
one place?
7 ¶ All the labour of man is for his mouth,
and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 For what hath the
wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the
living?
9 Better is the
sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and
vexation of spirit.
10 That which
hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man:
neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
11 ¶ Seeing there be many things that increase vanity,
what is man the better?
12 For who
knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which
he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under
the sun?