KOHELET 1

1 Divrei Kohelet, Ben Dovid, Melech in Yerushalayim. 2 Hevel havalim, saith Kohelet, hevel havalim, all is hevel. 3 What profit hath a man from all his amal (toil) which he hath toiled under the shemesh? 4 Dor v’dor, generations come and go, passing away; but ha’aretz remaineth l’olam. 5 The shemesh also ariseth, and the shemesh goeth down, and hasteth to its place, there to arise again. 6 The ruach (wind) goeth toward the darom (south), and turneth about unto the tzafon (north); it whirleth about continually, and the ruach returneth again according to its circuits. 7 All the nechalim (rivers) run into the yam; yet the yam is not full; unto the place from whence the nechalim come, thither they return to go again. 8 All things are wearisome; no ish can express it; the ayin is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ozen full 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 nothing chadash under the shemesh. 10 Is there anything whereof it may be said: See, this is chadash? L’olamim (ages ago), which were before us, it hath been already. 11 There is no zichron (remembrance) of former things; neither shall there be with those who come after any zikaron (recollection) of things that are to come. 12 I, Kohelet, was Melech over Yisroel in Yerushalayim. 13 And I set my lev to seek and search out by chochmah concerning all things that are done under Shomayim; what grievous task hath Elohim given to the bnei haAdam to be afflicted therewith. 14 I have seen all the ma’asim that are done under the shemesh; and, hinei, all is hevel and chasing after ruach (wind). 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and chesron (that which is lacking) cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own lev, saying: Hinei, I am come to greatness, even greater chochmah than all they that have been before me over Yerushalayim; yea, my lev had great experience of chochmah and da’as. 17 And I applied my lev to have da’as of chochmah, and to have da’as of holelot (madness) and sichlut (folly); I perceived that this also is striving after ruach (wind). 18 For in much chochmah (wisdom) is much ka’as (grief, vexation); and he that increaseth da’as increaseth mach’ov (sorrow).