Ecclesiastes 1:2-4,9
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 The Message (MSG)
Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That’s what the Quester says.] There’s nothing to anything—it’s all smoke. What’s there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone? One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes—it’s business as usual for old planet earth. The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again—the same old round. The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that—the whirling, erratic wind. All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up. The rivers keep flowing to the same old place, and then start all over and do it again. Everything’s boring, utterly boring— no one can find any meaning in it. Boring to the eye, boring to the ear. What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There’s nothing new on this earth. Year after year it’s the same old thing. Does someone call out, “Hey, this is new”? Don’t get excited—it’s the same old story. Nobody remembers what happened yesterday. And the things that will happen tomorrow? Nobody’ll remember them either. Don’t count on being remembered.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 The Message (MSG)
Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That’s what the Quester says.] There’s nothing to anything—it’s all smoke. What’s there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone? One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes—it’s business as usual for old planet earth. The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again—the same old round. The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that—the whirling, erratic wind. All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up. The rivers keep flowing to the same old place, and then start all over and do it again. Everything’s boring, utterly boring— no one can find any meaning in it. Boring to the eye, boring to the ear. What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There’s nothing new on this earth. Year after year it’s the same old thing. Does someone call out, “Hey, this is new”? Don’t get excited—it’s the same old story. Nobody remembers what happened yesterday. And the things that will happen tomorrow? Nobody’ll remember them either. Don’t count on being remembered.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 King James Version (KJV)
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 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.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 King James Version (KJV)
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 New Century Version (NCV)
The Teacher says, “Useless! Useless! Completely useless! Everything is useless.” What do people really gain from all the hard work they do here on earth? People live, and people die, but the earth continues forever.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 New Century Version (NCV)
All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. What has happened will happen again; there is nothing new here on earth.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 American Standard Version (ASV)
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun? One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 American Standard Version (ASV)
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 New International Version (NIV)
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 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.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 New International Version (NIV)
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God’s guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind].” [Rom 8:20] ¶What advantage does man have from all his work Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)? One generation goes and another generation comes, But the earth remains forever. [Ps 119:90]
Ecclesiastes 1:9 Amplified Bible (AMP)
That which has been is that which will be [again], And that which has been done is that which will be done again. So there is nothing new under the sun.