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.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
3 What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
4 Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
5 The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
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 goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
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 run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither 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 toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with 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 hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new 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 a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which 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 no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
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 applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
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 are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
15 Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot 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 communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of 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 applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
18 for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
