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CHAP. I.

1 The Preacher sheweth that all humane courses are vaine: 4 Because the creatures are restlesse in their courses, 9 They bring foorth nothing newe, and all olde things are forgotten, 12 And because he hath found it so in the studies of wisedome.

¹ The wordes of the Preacher, the son of Dauid, King in Ierusalem.

² Uanitie of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie.²

³ What profite hath a man of all his labour which hee taketh vnder the Sunne?³

⁴ One generation passeth away, and another generation commeth: but the earth abideth for euer.⁴

⁵ The Sunne also ariseth, and the Sunne goeth downe, and hasteth to the place where he arose.⁵

⁶ The winde goeth toward the South, and turneth about vnto the North; it whirleth about continually, and the winde returneth againe according to his circuits.

⁷ All the riuers runne into the sea, yet the Sea is not full: vnto the place from whence the riuers come, thither they returne againe.⁷

⁸ All things are full of labour, man cannot vtter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare filled with hearing.

⁹ The thing that hath beene, it is that which shall be: and that which is done, is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing vnder the sunne.⁹

The vanitie of worldly things.

¹⁰ Is there any thing, whereof it may be sayd, See, this is new? it hath beene already of olde time, which was before vs.

¹¹ There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there bee any remembrance of things that are to come, with those that shall come after.

¹² ¶ I the Preacher was king ouer Israel in Ierusalem.

¹³ And I gaue my heart to seeke and search out by wisedome, concerning all things that are done vnder heauen: this sore trauell hath God giuen to the sonnes of man, to be exercised therewith.¹³

¹⁴ I haue seene all the workes that are done vnder the Sunne, and behold, all is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked, cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbred.¹⁵

¹⁶ I communed with mine owne heart, saying, Loe, I am come to great estate, and haue gotten more wisedome then all they that haue beene before me in Ierusalem: yea my heart had great experience of wisedome & knowledge.¹⁶

¹⁷ And I gaue my heart to know wisedome, and to know madnesse and folly: I perceiued that this also is vexation of spirit.¹⁷

¹⁸ For in much wisedome is much griefe: and hee that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Sidenote References (from Original 1611 KJV Bible):

² Chap.12.9 psal.144.4. psal.36.6. and 62.9.
³ Cha.2.22. and 3.9.
⁴ Psal.104.5 & 119.90.
⁵ Heb. panteth.
⁷ Psal. 104. 9, 10. iob 38. 10. , Heb. returne to goe.
⁹ Cha. 3. 15.
¹³ Or, to afflict them.
¹⁵ Cha.7.13. , Heb. defect.
¹⁶ 1.King.4. 30. and 10. 7, 23. , Heb. had seene much.
¹⁷ Cha.2.12. and 7.23.

* Courtesy of Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania