| Chapter 1 |
1 | The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
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2 | Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
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3 | What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun?
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4 | One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
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5 | The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
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6 | The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.
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7 | All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
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8 | All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
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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.
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10 | Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
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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.
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12 | I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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13 | And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.
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14 | I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
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15 | That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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16 | I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
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17 | And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
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18 | For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
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