Ecclesiastes (Petritson version)

The words of Ecclesiastes, son of David, king of Israel [over Jerusalem]. Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes. Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What advantage has a man in all his labor, which he envies under this sun? A generation passes away and a generation comes, and the earth endures forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and draws to its own place. It rises there; it goes toward the south and turns around toward the north. The wind goes around its circuit, and the wind turns about its circuit. All rivers flow into the sea, and the sea is not filled. The place where the rivers go—there they turn back to go again. All words are with labor; a man is not able to speak; the eye is not filled with seeing, and the ear is not sated from hearing. That which was made and that which was to be, the maker, and there is nothing new under the sun. As if one were to say and think: Behold, this is new; behold, this was made in the ages among things made before [us]. There is no remembrance of the former, nor of those made afterward. There is no remembrance of them with the things made afterward. I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel in Jerusalem.

And I set my heart to investigate and to examine with wisdom all things created under heaven. What a wicked delusion God has given to the sons of men, to be deluded therein. I saw together all the works created under the sun. And behold, all is vanity and a chasing of the spirit. What is changed cannot be adorned, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said in my heart: Behold, I will magnify myself, and I added wisdom to everything. Those who were before me in Jerusalem. And my heart saw much wisdom and knowledge, parables and art. And I knew that I too am, and this also is a chasing of the spirit. In the abundance of wisdom there is an abundance of knowledge. And he who acquired knowledge acquired envy.