1 The words of Qohelet {Qohelet: Assembler Teacher}, the son of David, king in Yerushalayim {birushalayim: City Of Peace}.
2 "Vapor of vapors," says Qohelet {Qohelet: assembler}, "vapor of vapors; everything is vapor {hevel: fleeting emptiness}."
3 What profit {yitron: Lasting Gain} has a man in all his toil under the sun {shemesh: life in this world}?
4 One generation passes on and another generation arrives, yet the earth {haaretz: created world} stands for ages {leolam: perpetually enduring}.
5 And the sun rises {zoreakh: reappears}, and the sun sets, and to its place it hurries {sho’ef: pressing forward}, there it rises again.
6 Going to the south and turning {sovev: continuous motion} to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind {ruakh: breath/spirit}; and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All the rivers {nechalim: watercourses} run to the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they return {shavim: turn back repeatedly} to go again.
8 All things are wearisome {yegaim: exhausting}; no man is able to speak them fully. The eye is not satisfied {tisba: finds enough} with seeing, and the ear is not filled with hearing.
9 Whatever has already happened will happen again, and whatever has been accomplished will be accomplished again; nothing new {chadash: novelty} appears under the sun {shemesh: life realm}.
10 Is there a thing of which it will be said, “See, this is new {chadash: fresh appearance}?” It has already {kevar: already in existence} existed for ages, which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things {rishonim: earlier things}, nor will there be any remembrance of later things {acharonim: subsequent events} among those who come after.
12 I, Qohelet {qohelet: assembler or preacher}, was king over Israel in Jerusalem {Yerushalayim: city of peace}.
13 And I set my heart {libbi: inner self} to seek and to explore with wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens; it is a grievous task that God {Elohim, Sovereign Assigner} has given to the children of man to be afflicted with it.
14 I have seen all the works {ma'asim: human activities} that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity {hevel: fleeting emptiness} and a striving after wind.
15 What is made crooked cannot be made straight {litqon: Set Upright}, and what is lacking cannot be counted {chesron: Shortfall}.
16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have become great and have increased in wisdom more than all who had been before me over Jerusalem {Yerushalayim: capital of Israel}, and my heart {lev: seat of thought} has seen much wisdom and knowledge.”
17 And I gave my heart {libbi: inner self} to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I perceived that this also is a pursuit {ra‘yon: vain pursuit} of wind.
18 For in much wisdom there is much vexation {ka’as: Inner Anguish}, and whoever increases knowledge increases pain {mach’ov: Psychological Pain}.