Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Amplified Bible

² 
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher.
“Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God’s guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind].”^(A)

³ 
What advantage does man have from all his work
Which he does ^[a]under the sun (while earthbound)?
⁴ 
One generation goes and another generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.^(B)
5 
Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And hurries to the place where it rises again.
⁶ 
The wind blows toward the south,
Then circles toward the north;
The wind circles and swirls endlessly,
And on its circular course the wind returns.^(C)
7 
All the rivers flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
There they flow again.
⁸ 
All things are wearisome and all words are frail;
Man cannot express it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.^(D)
9 
That which has been is that which will be [again],
And that which has been done is that which will be done again.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ 
Is there anything of which it can be said,
“See this, it is new”?
It has already existed for [the vast] ages [of time recorded or unrecorded]
Which were before us.
¹¹ 
There is no remembrance of earlier things,
Nor also of the later things that are to come;
There will be for them no remembrance
By generations who will come after them.