Ecclesiastes 1
1 The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
3 What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
4 Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
5 The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
6 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.
The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
7 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.
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 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.
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.
9 What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
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.
10 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.
Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.
11 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.
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.
12 I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 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.
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 siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
15 Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
16 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.
I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem — yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
17 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;
And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
18 for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
