--- title: Ecclesiastes 1 — the Tanakh in Hebrew, Aramaic and English, with trees description: Ecclesiastes chapter 1 of the Tanakh (Ketuvim — the Writings) in Hebrew, Aramaic (the Targum) and English (JPS 1917), every verse with its syntax tree and pragmatics. It begins: THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/1/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tanakh/) / [Ketuvim](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/) / [Ecclesiastes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/) / chapter 1 # Ecclesiastes 1 18 verses, each with its tree and pragmatics: Hebrew, Aramaic (the Targum) and English (JPS 1917), the English sentence by sentence. - [1:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.1/) — דִּבְרֵי קֹהֶלֶת בֶּן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ — THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. - [1:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.2/) — הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָֽבֶל׃ — Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity. - [1:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.3/) — מַה־יִּתְרוֹן לָֽאָדָם בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ — What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun? - [1:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.4/) — דּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עֹמָֽדֶת׃ — One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever. - [1:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.5/) — וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַֽ הוּא שָֽׁם׃ — The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth. - [1:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.6/) — הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־דָּרוֹם וְסוֹבֵב אֶל־צָפוֹן סוֹבֵב ׀ סֹבֵב הוֹלֵךְ הָרוּחַ וְעַל־סְבִיבֹתָיו שָׁב הָרֽוּחַ׃ — The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, and the wind returneth again to its circuits. - [1:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.7/) — כָּל־הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל־הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא אֶל־מְקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הֹֽלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלָֽכֶת׃ — All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again. - [1:8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.8/) — כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא־יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְּׁמֹֽעַ׃ — All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. - [1:9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.9/) — מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה־שֶׁנַּֽעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה וְאֵין כָּל־חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ — That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun. - [1:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.10/) — יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה־זֶה חָדָשׁ הוּא כְּבָר הָיָה לְעֹֽלָמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלְּפָנֵֽנוּ׃ — Is there a thing whereof it is said: 'See, this is new'? — it hath been already, in the ages which were before us. - [1:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.11/) — אֵין זִכְרוֹן לָרִאשֹׁנִים וְגַם לָאַחֲרֹנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לֹֽא־יִהְיֶה לָהֶם זִכָּרוֹן עִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃פ — There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after. - [1:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.12/) — אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ — I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. - [1:13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.13/) — וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־לִבִּי לִדְרוֹשׁ וְלָתוּר בַּֽחָכְמָה עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם הוּא ׀ עִנְיַן רָע נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּֽוֹ׃ — And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. - [1:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.14/) — רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשִׂים שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ — I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. - [1:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.15/) — מְעֻוָּת לֹא־יוּכַל לִתְקֹן וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא־יוּכַל לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃ — That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. - [1:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.16/) — דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲנִי עִם־לִבִּי לֵאמֹר אֲנִי הִנֵּה הִגְדַּלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי חָכְמָה עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה לְפָנַי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְלִבִּי רָאָה הַרְבֵּה חָכְמָה וָדָֽעַת׃ — I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. - [1:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.17/) — וָאֶתְּנָה לִבִּי לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וְדַעַת הוֹלֵלוֹת וְשִׂכְלוּת יָדַעְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶה הוּא רַעְיוֹן רֽוּחַ׃ — And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind. - [1:18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.18/) — כִּי בְּרֹב חָכְמָה רָב־כָּעַס וְיוֹסִיף דַּעַת יוֹסִיף מַכְאֽוֹב׃ — For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. - ← previous: [Lamentations 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/LAM/5/) - next →: [Ecclesiastes 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/2/) - ↑ back to [Ecclesiastes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/)