A generation goes and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.(A)
The sun rises and the sun sets;
panting, it hurries back to the place(B)
where it rises.
Gusting to the south,
turning to the north,
turning, turning, goes the wind,(C)
and the wind returns in its cycles.
All the streams flow to the sea,
yet the sea is never full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
All things[a] are wearisome,
more than anyone can say.
The eye is not satisfied by seeing(D)
or the ear filled with hearing.
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[b] came before;(E)
and of those who will come after
there will also be no remembrance
by those who follow them.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:8 Or words
  2. 1:11 Or of the things that

A generation goes, and a generation comes,
    but the earth remains as it always has.
The sun rises, the sun sets;
    it returns panting to the place where it dawns.
The wind blows to the south,
    goes around to the north;
    around and around blows the wind;
    the wind returns to its rounds again.
All streams flow to the sea,
    but the sea is never full;
    to the place where the rivers flow,
    there they continue to flow.
All words[a] are tiring;
    no one is able to speak.
    The eye isn’t satisfied with seeing,
    neither is the ear filled up by hearing.
Whatever has happened—that’s what will happen again;
    whatever has occurred—that’s what will occur again.

There’s nothing new under the sun. 10 People may say about something: “Look at this! It’s new!” But it was already around for ages before us. 11 There’s no remembrance of things in the past, nor of things to come in the future. Neither will there be any remembrance among those who come along in the future.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 1:8 Or things