Ecclesiastes 1:2-11

²Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

³What advantage is there to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?

⁴A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.

⁵And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws towards its place;

⁶arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round towards the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.

⁷All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, there they return again.

⁸All things are full of labour; a man will not be able to speak of them: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.

⁹What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

¹⁰Who is he that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us.

¹¹There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last time.