Ecclesiastes 1:6

The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round ¹  the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. ² 

The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.

Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.

The wind blows south and north, here and there, twisting back and forth, getting nowhere.

The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that--the whirling, erratic wind.

The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.

The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.

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

The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round ¹  the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. ² 

¹ tn The Hebrew root סָבַב (savav, “to circle around”) is repeated four times in this verse to depict the wind’s continual motion: “The wind circles around (סוֹבֵב, sovev)…round and round (סוֹבֵב סֹבֵב)…its circuits (סְבִיבֹתָיו, sÿvivotayv).” This repetition is designed for a rhetorical purpose – to emphasize that the wind is locked into a never ending cycle. This vicious circle of monotonous action does not change anything. The participle form is used three times to emphasize continual, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). Despite the fact that the wind is always changing direction, nothing really new ever happens. The constant shifting of the wind cannot hide the fact that this is nothing but a repeated cycle; nothing new happens here (e.g., 1:9-10).

² tn The use of שָׁב (shav, Qal active participle masculine singular from שׁוּב, shuv, “to return”) creates a wordplay (paronomasia) with the repetition of סָבַב (savav, “to circle around”). The participle emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use).