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Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes, Chapter 1
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| 1 |
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
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| 2 |
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is
vanity.
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| 3 |
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the
sun?
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| 4 |
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh:
but the earth abideth for ever.
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| 5 |
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his
place where he arose.
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| 6 |
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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| 7 |
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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| 8 |
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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| 9 |
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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| 10 |
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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| 11 |
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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| 12 |
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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| 13 |
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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| 14 |
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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| 15 |
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is
wanting cannot be numbered.
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| 16 |
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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| 17 |
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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| 18 |
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth
knowledge increaseth sorrow.
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