Ecclesiastes 1
1Divrei Kohelet, Ben Dovid, Melech in Yerushalayim. 1
2Hevel havalim, saith Kohelet, 1 hevel havalim, all is hevel. 1
3What profit hath a man from all his amal (toil) 1 which he hath toiled under the shemesh? 1
4Dor v'dor, generations come and go, passing away; 1 but ha'aretz remaineth l'olam. 1
5The shemesh also ariseth, and the shemesh goeth down, 1 and hasteth to its place, there to arise again. 1
6The ruach (wind) goeth toward the darom (south), 1 and turneth about unto the tzafon (north); 1 it whirleth about continually, 1 and the ruach returneth again according to its circuits. 1
7All the nechalim (rivers) run into the yam; 1 yet the yam is not full; 1 unto the place from whence the nechalim come, 1 thither they return to go again. 1
8All things are wearisome; 1 no ish can express it; 1 the ayin is not satisfied with seeing, 1 nor the ozen full with hearing. 1
9The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; 1 and that which is done is that which shall be done; 1 and there is nothing chadash under the shemesh. 1
10Is there anything whereof it may be said: 1 See, this is chadash? 1 L'olamim (ages ago), which were before us, 1 it hath been already. 1
11There is no zichron (remembrance) of former things; 1 neither shall there be 1 with those who come after any zikaron (recollection) 1 of things that are to come.
12I, Kohelet, was Melech over Yisroel in Yerushalayim.
13And I set my lev to seek and search out by chochmah concerning all things that are done under Shomayim; what grievous task hath Elohim given to the bnei haAdam to be afflicted therewith.
14I have seen all the ma'asim that are done under the shemesh; and, hinei, all is hevel and chasing after ruach (wind). 1
15That which is crooked cannot be made straight; 1 and chesron (that which is lacking) cannot be numbered.
16I communed with mine own lev, saying: Hinei, I am come to greatness, even greater chochmah than all they that have been before me over Yerushalayim; yea, my lev had great experience of chochmah and da'as.
17And I applied my lev to have da'as of chochmah, and to have da'as of holelot (madness) and sichlut (folly); I perceived that this also is striving after ruach (wind). 1
18For in much chochmah (wisdom) is much ka'as (grief, vexation); 1 and he that increaseth da'as increaseth mach'ov (sorrow).