Ecclesiastes 1
1 The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
3 What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
4 Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
5 The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
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.
Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.
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 streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go.
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 these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.
9 What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
What [is] that which hath been? it [is] that which is, and what [is] that which hath been done? it [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely 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.
There is a thing of which [one] saith: 'See this, it [is] new!' already it hath been in the ages that were 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 not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
12 I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
I, a preacher, have been 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 have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
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 that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
15 Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to 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 — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly 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 give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;
18 for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
