Preacher

Head 1

1The words of the Gatherer, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Only breath, says the Gatherer, only breath! All is breath. 3 What does man win by all the work at which he works under the sun? 4 A lifespring goes, and a lifespring comes, but the earth stands forever. 5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and speeds to the stead where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and goes about to the north; about and about goes the wind, and on its loops the wind comes back. 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the stead where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not sated with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the times before us. 11 There is no bethoughtfulness of former things, nor will there be any bethoughtfulness of later things yet to be among those who come after.

12 I the Gatherer have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I betook my heart to seek and to find out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unblissful business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is breath and a tilling after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be reckoned.

16 I said in my heart, "I have got great wisdom, overtaking all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great betakewit of wisdom and knowledge." 17 And I betook my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and lackwitness. I saw that this also is but a tilling after wind.

18 For in much wisdom is much worry, and he who deepens knowledge deepens sorrow.

Sabbath Stone (talk) 21:16, December 13, 2012 (UTC)