Ecclesiastes (Kohelet)

KOHELET 11 The sayings of Kohelet son of David, King of Israel in Jerusalem: Shallowest 3 breath, said Kohelet; the shallowest breath, it is all but breath. What profit 4 remains of all the labor one toils over beneath the sun? One age departs, 5 another comes; the earth stands still forever. The sun rises, the sun sets. It 6 heaves towards its place, and there it rises. Blowing south, turning north, turning then turning blows the wind, and back upon its turnings, the wind 7 returns. All streams flow into the sea. The sea is still not full. Into the place 8 where the streams flow, they turn to flow again. Everything is tiresome. One can say nothing, the eye can never see enough, the ear is never filled 9 with hearing. What is to be — is what has been already, what is to be done 10 is what is done, and there is nothing new at all beneath the sun. Something may make a person say, “Look at this: new!” — It has been here already, in all 11 the eternities that came before us. The earliest left no memory behind; and those who are to come will still leave no memorial with the last ones who will be. 12 I, Kohelet, was king of Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my mind over to searching and exploring with Wisdom, all that is done beneath the sky. A wretched occupation, this, given by God to mortal man, with which 14 to be oppressed. I saw everything that is done beneath the sun. It is 15 - nothing but fleeting breath, but courting the wind. What is crooked can 16 never be straightened; what is lost can never be counted. I said to my mind, I have built up and gathered more wisdom than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before, and my mind has seen much wisdom and 17 insight. And I gave my mind over to understand wisdom; and to under- 18 stand delirium and folly. 1 know that too is but courting the wind. For in great wisdom lies great bitterness; and one who gathers insight gathers pain. 21 Isaid to my mind, Come, let me try you with joy, come and see good liv- 2 ing. I found that too to be but shallow breath. Delirium, I called laughter; 3. told joy, What comes of this? And so I explored on, through my mind, steeping my body in wine, and my mind at the helm remained wise — that I might catch hold of folly, and finally see what is good for mortal man to do