² “Vanity^[a] of vanities,”
    says the Preacher;
“vanity of vanities,
    all is vanity.”

³ What benefit is there to a man in all his labors
    that he toils under the sun?
⁴ A generation comes, and a generation goes,
    but the earth continually remains.
⁵ The sun comes up, and the sun goes down,
    and hurries to the place where it rises.
⁶ It moves to the south,
    and then moves around to the north;
the wind continually travels around,
    and it keeps turning on its circuit.
⁷ All the streams flow into the sea,
    and the sea is never filled up.
And to the place where the streams flow,
    there they continually return to flow.
⁸ All matters are wearisome;
    a man is not able to speak to them.
The eye is not satisfied with what it sees,
    and the ear is not content with what it hears.
⁹ What has been is the same as what will be,
    and what has been done is the same as what will be done;
    there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there a matter where it is said,
    “See, this is truly new”?
Long ago in the past
    every matter has already been in our midst.
¹¹ There is not a memory for the former things,
    and moreover, there will not be
a memory for the things coming after,
    even those things that are yet to come.

¹⁵ What is bent cannot be straightened,
    and what is missing cannot be counted.

¹⁸ For in an abundance of wisdom is an abundance of frustration,
    and he who increases in knowledge also increases in sorrow.