Eclesiastés 1
La Biblia de las Américas
Vanidad de todo esfuerzo
1 Palabras del Predicador(A), hijo de David, rey en Jerusalén.
2 Vanidad de vanidades, dice el Predicador,
vanidad de vanidades, todo es vanidad(B).
3 ¿Qué provecho recibe el hombre de todo el trabajo
con que se afana bajo el sol(C)?
4 Una generación va y otra generación viene,
mas la tierra permanece para siempre(D).
5 El sol sale y el sol se pone(E),
a su lugar se apresura[a], y de allí vuelve a salir.
6 Soplando[b] hacia el sur,
y girando hacia el norte,
girando y girando va el viento;
y sobre sus giros el viento regresa(F).
7 Todos los ríos van hacia el mar,
y el mar no se llena;
al lugar donde los ríos fluyen,
allí vuelven a fluir.
8 Todas las cosas son fatigosas,
el hombre no puede expresarlas.
No se sacia(G) el ojo de ver,
ni se cansa[c] el oído de oír.
9 Lo que fue, eso será,
y lo que se hizo, eso se hará(H);
no hay nada nuevo bajo el sol.
10 ¿Hay algo de que se pueda decir:
Mira, esto es nuevo?
Ya existía en los siglos
que nos precedieron.
11 No hay memoria de las cosas primeras
ni tampoco de las postreras que sucederán;
no habrá memoria de ellas
entre los que vendrán después(I).
Vanidad del saber
12 Yo, el Predicador(J), he sido rey sobre Israel en Jerusalén. 13 Y apliqué mi corazón(K) a buscar e investigar con sabiduría todo lo que se ha hecho bajo el cielo(L). Tarea(M) dolorosa[d] dada por Dios a los hijos de los hombres para ser afligidos con ella. 14 He visto todas las obras que se han hecho bajo el sol, y he aquí, todo es vanidad y correr tras el viento[e](N).
15 Lo torcido no puede enderezarse(O),
y lo que falta no se puede contar.
16 Yo me dije[f]: He aquí, yo he engrandecido y aumentado la sabiduría más que[g] todos los que estuvieron antes de mí sobre Jerusalén(P); mi corazón ha contemplado mucha sabiduría y conocimiento. 17 Y apliqué mi corazón(Q) a conocer la sabiduría y a conocer la locura y la insensatez(R); me di cuenta de que esto también es correr tras el viento(S).
18 Porque en la mucha sabiduría hay mucha angustia,
y quien aumenta el conocimiento, aumenta el dolor(T).
Footnotes
- Eclesiastés 1:5 Lit., jadeando
- Eclesiastés 1:6 Lit., Yendo
- Eclesiastés 1:8 Lit., llena
- Eclesiastés 1:13 Lit., malvada
- Eclesiastés 1:14 O, aflicción de espíritu, y así en el vers. 17
- Eclesiastés 1:16 Lit., hablé en mi corazón, diciendo:
- Eclesiastés 1:16 Lit., sobre
Ecclesiastes 1
King James Version
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 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.
7 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.
8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 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.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 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.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 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.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 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.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 1
English Standard Version
All Is Vanity
1 The words of (A)the Preacher,[a] the son of David, (B)king in Jerusalem.
2 (C)Vanity[b] of vanities, says (D)the Preacher,
(E)vanity of vanities! (F)All is vanity.
3 (G)What (H)does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but (I)the earth remains forever.
5 (J)The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens[c] to the place where it rises.
6 (K)The wind blows to the south
and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All (L)streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
8 All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
(M)the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 (N)What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been (O)already
in the ages before us.
11 There is no (P)remembrance of former things,[d]
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things[e] yet to be
among those who come after.
The Vanity of Wisdom
12 I (Q)the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I (R)applied my heart[f] to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy (S)business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is (T)vanity[g] and a striving after wind.[h]
15 (U)What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great (V)wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I (W)applied my heart to know wisdom and to know (X)madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but (Y)a striving after wind.
18 For (Z)in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 1:1 Or Convener, or Collector; Hebrew Qoheleth (so throughout Ecclesiastes)
- Ecclesiastes 1:2 The Hebrew term hebel, translated vanity or vain, refers concretely to a “mist,” “vapor,” or “mere breath,” and metaphorically to something that is fleeting or elusive (with different nuances depending on the context). It appears five times in this verse and in 29 other verses in Ecclesiastes
- Ecclesiastes 1:5 Or and returns panting
- Ecclesiastes 1:11 Or former people
- Ecclesiastes 1:11 Or later people
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 The Hebrew term denotes the center of one's inner life, including mind, will, and emotions
- Ecclesiastes 1:14 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 1:14 Or a feeding on wind; compare Hosea 12:1 (also in Ecclesiastes 1:17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9)
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
