Translations
Modern
What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Traditional
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.
Literal
What has been, it will be; and what has been done, it will be done; and nothing at all is new under the sun.
Latin
Quid est quod fuit? Ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? Ipsum quod faciendum est.
Original
Hebrew
English
What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Notes
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.