Ecclesiastes 1:3–8

What do people gain from all their labors

at which they toil under the sun?

Generations come and generations go,

but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises and the sun sets,

and hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south

and turns to the north;

round and round it goes,

ever returning on its course.

All streams flow into the sea,

yet the sea is never full.

To the place the streams come from,

there they return again.

All things are wearisome,

more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing,

nor the ear its fill of hearing.

What does a person gain for all his efforts

that he labors at under the sun?

A generation goes and a generation comes,

but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises and the sun sets;

panting, it hurries back to the place

where it rises.

Gusting to the south,

turning to the north,

turning, turning, goes the wind,

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 are wearisome,

more than anyone can say.

The eye is not satisfied by seeing

or the ear filled with hearing.

What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

What does a person gain in all his toil

with which he toils under the sun?

A generation goes, and a generation comes,

but the earth stands forever.

The sun rises, and the sun goes down;

to its place it hurries, and there it rises again.

The wind goes to the south and goes around to the north;

around and around it goes, and on its circuit the wind returns.

All the streams flow to the sea,

but the sea is never full;

to the place where the streams flow,

there they continue to flow.

All things toil continuously;

no one can ever finish describing this.

The eye is never satisfied with seeing,

and the ear is never filled with hearing.

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.