Ecclesiastes 1
1 The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
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 blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
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 flow into the sea, but the sea is never 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.
Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
9 What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. 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 anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long 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.
No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
12 I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
I am the Teacher, and I 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.
I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
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 deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
15 Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
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 have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great 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;
So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
