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Ecclesiastes

Questions the meaning of life and the value of worldly pursuits, concluding that fearing God is important.

Chapter 1

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KJV: The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Geneva: The wordes of the Preacher, the sonne of Dauid King in Ierusalem.

KJV: Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Geneva: Vanitie of vanities, sayth the Preacher: vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie.

KJV: What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

Geneva: What remaineth vnto man in all his trauaile, which he suffereth vnder ye sunne?

KJV: One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

Geneva: One generation passeth, and another generation succeedeth: but the earth remaineth for euer.

KJV: The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

Geneva: The sunne riseth, and ye sunne goeth downe, and draweth to his place, where he riseth.

KJV: The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

Geneva: The winde goeth toward the South, and compasseth towarde the North: the winde goeth rounde about, and returneth by his circuites.

KJV: All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

Geneva: All the riuers goe into the sea, yet the sea is not full: for the riuers goe vnto ye place, whence they returne, and goe.

KJV: All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

Geneva: All things are full of labour: man cannot vtter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare filled with hearing.

KJV: 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 no new thing under the sun.

Geneva: What is it that hath bene? That that shalbe: and what is it that hath bene done? That which shalbe done: and there is no newe thing vnder the sunne.

KJV: Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Geneva: Is there any thing, whereof one may say, Beholde this, it is newe? It hath bene already in the olde time that was before vs.

KJV: There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

Geneva: There is no memorie of the former, neither shall there be a remembrance of the latter that shalbe, with them that shall come after.

KJV: I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Geneva: I the Preacher haue bene King ouer Israel in Ierusalem:

KJV: And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

Geneva: And I haue giuen mine heart to search and finde out wisdome by all things that are done vnder the heauen: (this sore trauaile hath GOD giuen to the sonnes of men, to humble them thereby)

KJV: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Geneva: I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the sunne, and beholde, all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.

KJV: That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

Geneva: That which is crooked, can none make straight: and that which faileth, cannot be nombred.

KJV: I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

Geneva: I thought in mine heart, and said, Behold, I am become great, and excell in wisdome all them that haue bene before me in Ierusalem: and mine heart hath seene much wisedome and knowledge.

KJV: And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Geneva: And I gaue mine heart to knowe wisdome and knowledge, madnes and foolishnes: I knew also that this is a vexation of the spirit.

KJV: For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Geneva: For in the multitude of wisedome is much griefe: and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorowe.

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