Ecclesiastes 1

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

² Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
    vanity of vanities! All is vanity.^(B)
3 What do people gain from all the toil
    at which they toil under the sun?^(C)
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
    but the earth remains forever.^(D)
5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down
    and hurries to the place where it rises.^(E)
6 The wind blows to the south
    and goes around to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
    and on its circuits the wind returns.^(F)
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^[a] are wearisome,
    more than one can express;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing
    or the ear filled with hearing.^(G)
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.^(H)
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.

¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight,
    and what is lacking cannot be counted.^(K)

¹⁸ For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.^(N)