Ecclesiastes 1
1 The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
在耶路撒冷作王、大衛的兒子、傳道者的言語。
2 The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
傳道者說：虛空的虛空， 虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。
3 What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
人一切的勞碌， 就是他在日光之下的勞碌，有甚麼益處呢？
4 Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
一代過去，一代又來， 地卻永遠長存。
5 The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
日頭出來，日頭落下， 急歸所出之地。
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.
風往南颳，又向北轉， 不住地旋轉，而且返回轉行原道。
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.
江河都往海裏流，海卻不滿； 江河從何處流，仍歸還何處。
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.
萬事令人厭煩， 人不能說盡。 眼看，看不飽； 耳聽，聽不足。
9 What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
已有的事後必再有； 已行的事後必再行。 日光之下並無新事。
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.
豈有一件事人能指着說這是新的？ 哪知，在我們以前的世代早已有了。
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.
已過的世代，無人記念； 將來的世代，後來的人也不記念。
12 I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
我傳道者在耶路撒冷作過以色列的王。
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.
我專心用智慧尋求、查究天下所做的一切事，乃知上帝叫世人所經練的是極重的勞苦。
14 I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
我見日光之下所做的一切事，都是虛空，都是捕風。
15 Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
彎曲的，不能變直； 缺少的，不能足數。
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.
我心裏議論說：我得了大智慧，勝過我以前在耶路撒冷的眾人，而且我心中多經歷智慧和知識的事。
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;
我又專心察明智慧、狂妄，和愚昧，乃知這也是捕風。
18 for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
因為多有智慧，就多有愁煩； 加增知識的，就加增憂傷。
