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Ecclesiastes

Reflections of a Royal Philosopher

1The words of the Teacher,^* the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
² Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,^*
   vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
³ What do people gain from all the toil
   at which they toil under the sun?
⁴ A generation goes, and a generation comes,
   but the earth remains for ever.
⁵ The sun rises and the sun goes down,
   and hurries to the place where it rises.
⁶ The wind blows to the south,
   and goes round to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
   and on its circuits the wind returns.
⁷ All streams run to the sea,
   but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
   there they continue to flow.
⁸ All things^* are wearisome;
   more than one can express;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
   or the ear filled with hearing.
⁹ What has been is what will be,
   and what has been done is what will be done;
   there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there a thing of which it is said,
   ‘See, this is new’?
It has already been,
   in the ages before us.
¹¹ The people of long ago are not remembered,
   nor will there be any remembrance
of people yet to come
   by those who come after them.