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The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
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Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
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What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
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The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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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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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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For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
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I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
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I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
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I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
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I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
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I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
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So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
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Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
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Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
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Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.