LEB by section ECC 1:3

⌂ ← ECC 1:3–1:11 → ║ ©

All Toil is Profitless and Repetitious

3 with which he toils under the sun?
4  but the earth stands forever.
5  to its place it hurries,[fn] and there it rises again.
6  around and around it goes, and on its circuit the wind returns.
7  but the sea is never full;

to the place where the streams flow,
- there they continue to flow.
- 8 [fn] no one can ever finish describing this.[fn]
The eye is never[fn] satisfied with seeing,
- and the ear is never[fn] filled with hearing.
- 9  what has been done—it is what will be done;
  - there is nothing new under the sun.
- 10 of which it is said, “Look at this! This is new!” But it already existed in ages past before us.
- 11  nor will there be remembrance of future generations.

?:? The MT reads “it gasps for breath ,” which is supported by LXX “to draw breath ”; the BHS editors suggest “it returns again”

?:? Or “are wearisome”

?:? The MT reads “no one is able to speak.” The BHS editors suggest “no one can finish speaking.” On the basis of internal evidence, the latter is adopted in the translation, since it makes better sense in the light of the immediate context

?:? Or “not”

ECC C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12