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.