² Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,^[a]
    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 forever.
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 around 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^[b] 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.