² “Vanity^(B)[a] of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, ^(C)all is vanity.”

^3 (D)What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he ^[b]toils under the sun?
⁴ One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
^(E)But the earth abides forever.
^5 (F)The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And ^[c]hastens to the place where it arose.
^6 (G)The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.
^7 (H)All the rivers run into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.
⁸ All things are ^[d]full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
^(I)The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing.

^9 (J)That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
¹¹ There is ^(K)no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.

¹⁰ Whatever one is, he has been named ^(A)already,
For it is known that he is man;
^(B)And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
¹¹ Since there are many things that increase vanity,
How is man the better?

¹⁵ So I said in my heart,
“As it happens to the fool,
It also happens to me,
And why was I then more wise?”
Then I said in my heart,
“This also is vanity.”
¹⁶ For there is ^(F)no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,
Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.
And how does a wise man die?
As the fool!

One event happens to the righteous and the wicked;
To the ^[b]good, the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, so is the sinner;
He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.

⁵ For the living know that they will die;
But ^(C)the dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For ^(D)the memory of them is forgotten.
⁶ Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.

⁷ Go, ^(E)eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
⁸ Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and ^(J)chance happen to them all.
¹² For ^(K)man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are ^(L)snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.