The Bible, King James version, Book 21: Ecclesiastes
Book 21 Ecclesiastes
21:001:001 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
21:001:002 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
21:001:003 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
21:001:004 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
21:001:005 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
21:001:006 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.
21:001:007 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.
21:001:008 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
21:001:009 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.
21:001:010 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
21:001:011 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.
21:001:012 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
21:001:013 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.
21:001:014 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
21:001:015 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
21:001:016 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
21:001:017 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
21:001:018 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
21:002:001 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
21:002:002 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
21:002:003 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
21:002:004 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
21:002:005 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
21:002:006 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
21:002:007 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
21:002:008 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
21:002:009 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
21:002:010 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
21:002:011 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
21:002:012 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
21:002:013 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
21:002:014 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
21:002:015 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
21:002:016 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
21:002:017 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
21:002:018 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
21:002:019 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
21:002:020 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21:002:021 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
21:002:022 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
21:002:023 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
21:002:024 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
21:002:025 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
21:002:026 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
21:003:001 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
21:003:002 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
21:003:003 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
21:003:004 A time
