1. The words of David’s son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem:
2. Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
3. What profit have we from all the toilwhich we toil at under the sun?
4. One generation departs and another generation comes,but the world forever stays.
5. The sun rises and the sun sets;then it presses on to the place where it rises.
6. Shifting south, then north,back and forth shifts the wind, constantly shifting its course.
7. All rivers flow to the sea,yet never does the sea become full.To the place where they flow,the rivers continue to flow.
8. All things are wearisome,too wearisome for words.The eye is not satisfied by seeingnor has the ear enough of hearing.