1The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem. 2The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite. 3What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne? 4Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende. 5The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place; 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. 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. 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. 9What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad? 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. 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. 12I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem; 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. 14I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit. 15Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende. 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. 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; 18for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.