Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.
The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
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.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
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.
8 All things [are] full of labour; man cannot utter [it: ] the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
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.
9 The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.
What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
10 Is there [any] thing whereof it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
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.
11 [There is] no remembrance of former [things; ] neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.
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.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
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.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
15 [That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
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.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
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;
18 For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
