Translations
Modern
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
Traditional
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
Literal
A generation is going and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing forever.
Latin
Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit; terra autem in æternum stat.
Original
Hebrew
English
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
Notes
Generations come and go, and individual lives often seem to pass without importance.
The Teacher starts by noting that every natural and historical activity has a repetitive cycle of coming and going, existing and not existing. This can cause some to feel that everything is meaningless. The Teacher quickly shifts from one topic to another and ends this section with the topic he began with, using a literary style that reflects the cycles he describes in nature and human history.
Glossary
Topics
Covetousness: General Scriptures Concerning Earth: Perpetuity of Life: Brevity and Uncertainty of