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

² Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

³ What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

⁴ One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

⁵ The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

129 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

² Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.

³ The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.

⁴ The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

⁵ Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

⁶ Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:

⁷ Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

⁸ Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.