Ecclesiastes 1:1-10 ▼

1 THE WORDs OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

3 What profit hath man of all his labour Wherein he laboureth under the sun?

4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; And the earth abideth for ever.

5 The sun also ariseth, And the sun goeth down, And hasteth to his place where he ariseth.

6 The wind goeth toward the south, And turneth about unto the north; It turneth about continually in its circuit, And the wind returneth again to its circuits.

7 All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; Unto the place whither the rivers go, Thither they go again.

8 All things toil to weariness; Man cannot utter it, The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 That which hath been is that which shall be, And that which hath been done is that which shall be done; And there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there a thing whereof it is said: 'See, this is new'?--it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.