Noyes Translation
1869 by George Noyes

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1

Ecc 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Ecc 1:3 What profit hath a man by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
Ecc 1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth for ever.
Ecc 1:5 The sun riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
Ecc 1:6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth to its circuits.
Ecc 1:7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return.
Ecc 1:8 All words become weary; man cannot express it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Ecc 1:9 The thing that 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.
Ecc 1:10 Is there any thing of which one may say, "Behold, this is new"? It was long ago, in the times which were before us.
Ecc 1:11 There is no remembrance of former things, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
Ecc 1:12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel at Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:13 And I gave my mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.
Ecc 1:14 I saw all the things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after wind.
Ecc 1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ecc 1:16 I communed with my heart, saying, "Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath seen much wisdom and knowledge."
Ecc 1:17 And I gave my mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after wind.
Ecc 1:18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.