傳道書 1
1 達味之子耶路撒冷的君王「訓道者」的語錄：
The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
2 虛而又虛，訓道者說：虛而又虛，萬事皆虛。
The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
3 人在太陽下辛勤勞作，為人究有何益﹖
What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
4 一代過去，一代又來，大地仍然常在。
Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
5 太陽升起，太陽落下，匆匆趕回原處，從新再升。
The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
6 風吹向南，又轉向北，旋轉不息，循環周行。
and there it risith ayen, and cumpassith bi the south, and turneth ayen to the north. The spirit cumpassynge alle thingis goith `in cumpas, and turneth ayen in to hise cerclis.
7 江河流入大海，大海總不滿溢；江河仍向所往之處，川流不息。
Alle floodis entren in to the see, and the see fletith not ouer the markis set of God; the floodis turnen ayen to the place fro whennus tho comen forth, that tho flowe eft.
8 萬事皆辛勞，無人能盡言：眼看，看不夠；耳聽，聽不飽。
Alle thingis ben hard; a man may not declare tho thingis bi word; the iye is not fillid bi siyt, nether the eere is fillid bi hering.
9 往昔所有的，將來會再有；昔日所行的，將來會再行；太陽之下決無新事。
What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
10 若有人指著某事說：「看，這是新事。」豈不知在我們以前早就有過。
No thing vndir the sunne is newe, nether ony man may seie, Lo! this thing is newe; for now it yede bifore in worldis, that weren bifore vs.
11 只是對往者，沒有人去追憶；同樣，對來者，也不會為後輩所記念。
Mynde of the formere thingis is not, but sotheli nether thenkyng of tho thingis, that schulen come afterward, schal be at hem that schulen come in the last tyme.
12 我訓道者，曾在耶路撒冷作過以色列的君王。
I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
13 我曾專心用智慧考查研究過天下所發生的一切；－－這實在是天主賜與人類的一項艱辛的工作。
and Y purposide in my soule to seke and enserche wiseli of alle thingis, that ben maad vndur the sunne. God yaf this werste ocupacioun to the sones of men, that thei schulden be ocupied therynne.
14 我觀察了在太陽下所發生的一切：看，都是空虛，都是追風。
I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
15 彎曲的，不能使之正直，虧缺的，實在不可勝數。
Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
16 我心裏自語說：「看，我獲得了又大又多的智慧，勝過了所有在我以前住在耶路撒冷的人，我的心獲得了許多智慧和學問。」
I spak in myn herte, and Y seide, Lo! Y am made greet, and Y passide in wisdom alle men, that weren bifore me in Jerusalem; and my soule siy many thingis wiseli, and Y lernede.
17 我再專心研究智慧和學問，愚昧和狂妄，我纔發覺：連這項工作也是追風。
And Y yaf myn herte, that Y schulde knowe prudence and doctryn, and errours and foli. And Y knew that in these thingis also was trauel and turment of spirit;
18 因為，智慧愈多，煩惱愈多；學問越廣，憂慮越深。
for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
