Eccl 1:8 All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
Eccl 1:9 That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.
Eccl 1:10 Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new"? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us.
Eccl 1:11 There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.
Eccl 1:12 ¶ I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Eccl 1:13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
Eccl 1:14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.
Eccl 1:15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.
Eccl 1:16 ¶ I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."
Eccl 1:17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.
Eccl 1:18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
Eccl 2:1 I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.
Eccl 2:2 I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"
Eccl 2:3 I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.
Eccl 2:5 I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;
Eccl 2:6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.
Eccl 2:7 I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.
Eccl 2:8 Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men--many concubines.
Eccl 2:9 ¶ Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
Eccl 2:10 All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.