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 man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
4. One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
5. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
6. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8. All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9. That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10. Is there a thing whereof men say, See, this is new? it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
11. There is no remembrance of the former generations; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter generations that are to come, among those that shall come after.
12. I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.