1The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.

stylus

Psalms 26:4, Psalms 26:5, Psalms 26:4, Psalms 26:5, Proverbs 4:14

2The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.

stylus

Joshua 1:8, Joshua 1:8, Psalms 119:92, Psalms 119:92, Psalms 119:11

3What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?

stylus

Jeremiah 17:8, Jeremiah 17:8, Ezekiel 47:12, Ezekiel 47:12, Psalms 92:14

4Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.

stylus

Job 21:18, Job 21:18, Matthew 3:12, Matthew 3:12, Psalms 35:5

5The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;

stylus

Psalms 5:5, Psalms 5:5, Matthew 25:46, Matthew 25:46, Malachi 3:18

6and 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.

stylus

2 Timothy 2:19, 2 Timothy 2:19, Proverbs 15:9, John 10:14, Proverbs 15:9

7Alle 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.

stylus

8Alle 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.

stylus

9What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?

stylus

10No 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.

stylus

11Mynde 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.

stylus

12I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;

stylus

13and 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.

stylus

14I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.

stylus

15Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.

stylus

16I 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.

stylus

17And 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;

stylus

18for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.

stylus