Ecclesiastes 1:9

Bible in Basic English (1941)

That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 3:15 : 15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
  • Jer 31:22 : 22 How long will you go on turning this way and that, O wandering daughter? for the Lord has made a new thing on the earth, a woman changed into a man.
  • Rev 21:1 : 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were gone; and there was no more sea.
  • Rev 21:5 : 5 And he who is seated on the high seat said, See, I make all things new. And he said, Put it in the book; for these words are certain and true.
  • 2 Pet 2:1 : 1 But there were false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly put forward wrong teachings for your destruction, even turning away from the Lord who gave himself for them; whose destruction will come quickly, and they themselves will be the cause of it.
  • Eccl 6:10 : 10 That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.
  • Eccl 7:10 : 10 Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.
  • Isa 43:19 : 19 See, I am doing a new thing; now it is starting; will you not take note of it? I will even make a way in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country.
  • Eccl 2:12 : 12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 1:10-11
    2 verses
    92%

    10 Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.

    11 There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.

  • Eccl 3:14-16
    3 verses
    84%

    14 I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.

    15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.

    16 And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.

  • Eccl 1:7-8
    2 verses
    81%

    7 All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.

    8 All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.

  • Eccl 1:13-15
    3 verses
    81%

    13 And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

    14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

    15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

  • Eccl 4:15-16
    2 verses
    79%

    15 I saw all the living under the sun round the young man who was to be ruler in place of the king.

    16 There was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 2:11-12
    2 verses
    78%

    11 Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

    12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.

  • Eccl 1:1-5
    5 verses
    78%

    1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

    2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.

    3 What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?

    4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.

    5 The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.

  • Eccl 6:9-12
    4 verses
    77%

    9 What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

    10 That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.

    11 There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?

    12 Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    77%

    16 When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

    17 Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

  • Eccl 3:10-12
    3 verses
    76%

    10 I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.

    11 He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

    12 I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.

  • Eccl 12:8
    75%

    8 All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 4:3
    75%

    3 Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which is done under the sun.

  • Eccl 3:1
    75%

    1 For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

  • Eccl 9:1
    75%

    1 All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.

  • Eccl 4:7-8
    2 verses
    75%

    7 Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.

    8 It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.

  • Eccl 9:3
    75%

    3 This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

  • Eccl 6:1
    74%

    1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;

  • Eccl 3:22
    74%

    22 So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?

  • Eccl 8:9
    74%

    9 All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

  • Eccl 9:6
    74%

    6 Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.

  • Eccl 9:13
    74%

    13 This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

  • Eccl 9:10
    74%

    10 Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.

  • Eccl 3:19
    74%

    19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 2:17-20
    4 verses
    73%

    17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

    18 Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.

    19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

    20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

  • Eccl 2:22
    73%

    22 What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

  • Eccl 8:14
    73%

    14 There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 2:24
    72%

    24 There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.

  • Eccl 5:16
    72%

    16 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.