Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem.
The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.
The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
3 What profit hath a man of all his toil which he toil-eth under the sun?
What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth endureth for ever.
Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.
The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
6 Going toward the south, and turning round toward the north, the wind moveth round about continually; and around its circles doth the wind return again.
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 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is never full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither will they continue to go.
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 All things weary themselves [constantly]; man can not utter them: the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
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 That which hath been, is the same which will be; and that which hath been done, is the same which will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
10 If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times which were before us.
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 [Only] there is no recollection of former [generations]; and also of the later ones, that are to be—of these [likewise] there will be no recollection with those that will be still later.
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 I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
13 And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves therewith.
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 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
16 I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much wisdom and knowledge.
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 And I directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; [but] I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.
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 For where there is much wisdom there is much vexation: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain.
for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
