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.
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What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
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One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
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The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
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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.
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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.
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All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
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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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Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
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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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I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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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.
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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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That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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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.
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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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For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
1 [A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.] O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
