Ecclesiastes 1  Holman Christian Standard Bible

² “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.
“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”^(C)
3 What does a man gain for all his efforts
that he labors at under the sun?^(D)
4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.^(E)
5 The sun rises and the sun sets;
panting, it returns to its place^(F)
where it rises.
⁶ Gusting to the south,
turning to the north,
turning, turning, goes the wind,^(G)
and the wind returns in its cycles.
⁷ All the streams flow to the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
The streams are flowing to the place,
and they flow there again.
⁸ All things^[b] are wearisome;
man is unable to speak.
The eye is not satisfied by seeing^(H)
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 Can one say about anything,
“Look, this is new”?
It has already existed in the ages before us.
¹¹ There is no remembrance of those who^[c] came before;^(I)
and of those who^[d] will come after
there will also be no remembrance
by those who follow them.

¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be straightened;^(O)
what is lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁸ For with much wisdom is much sorrow;^(T)
as knowledge increases, grief increases.