Ecclesiastes 1:4

2 “Vanity¹^a of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, ^ball is vanity.”

3 ^aWhat profit has a man from all his labor
In which he¹ toils under the sun?

4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
^aBut the earth abides forever.

5 ^aThe sun also rises, and¹ the sun goes down,
And hastens to the place where it arose.

6 ^aThe wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.

7 ^aAll the rivers run into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.

8 All things are¹ full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
^aThe eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 ^aThat which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.

11 There is ^ano remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.

The Grief of Wisdom

12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I set my heart to seek and ^asearch out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; ^bthis burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be¹ exercised.

Verse Comparison: Ecclesiastes 1:4

<< Ecclesiastes 1:3

Ecclesiastes 1:5 >>

American Standard Version
One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.

Amplified® Bible
One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

Contemporary English Version
People come, and people go, but still the world never changes.

Darby English Version
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.

Good News Bible
Generations come and generations go, but the world stays just the same.

King James Version
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

New American Standard Bible
A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.

New International Version
Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.

New King James Version
One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
A generation goes and a generation comes,But the earth remains forever.

Revised Standard Version
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever.

Young's Literal Translation
A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.

<< Ecclesiastes 1:3

Ecclesiastes 1:5 >>

Join 137,059+ readers

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning

Consistent Bible study is hard to start.

The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.

Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Grief of Wisdom

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning