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¹ The wordes of the preacher ye sonne of Dauid kyng of Hierusalem.² All is but most vayne vanitie saith the preacher, & all is most vayne [I say] and but playne vanitie.³ For what els hath a man of all the labour that he taketh vnder the sunne?

⁴ One generation passeth away, another commeth: but the earth abideth styll.⁵ The sunne aryseth, the sunne goeth downe, and returneth to his place, that he may there ryse vp agayne.⁶ The wynde goeth towarde the south and turneth vnto the north, fetcheth his compasse, whirleth about, and goeth foorth, and returneth agayne to his circuites from whence he dyd come.⁷ All fluddes runne into the sea, and yet is the sea it selfe not fylled: For loke vnto what place the waters runne, thence they come to flowe agayne.⁸ All thinges are so harde to be knowen, that no man can expresse them: The eye is not satisfied with sight, the eare is not fylled with hearyng.

⁹ The thyng that hath ben, commeth to passe agayne, and the thyng that hath ben done, shalbe done agayne: There is no newe thyng vnder the sunne.¹⁰ Is there any thyng wherof it may be sayde, lo this is newe? for it was long ago in the tymes that haue ben before vs.¹¹ The thyng that is past is out of remembraunce: euen so the thynges that are for to come, shal no more be thought vpon among them that come after.

¹² I my selfe the preacher was kyng of Israel at Hierusalem,¹³ And dyd applie my mynde to seke out & searche for knowledge of all thynges that are done vnder heauen: Such trauayle and labour hath God geuen vnto the children of men, to exercise them selues therin.¹⁴ Thus haue I considered all these thynges that come to passe vnder the sunne: and lo, they are all but vanitie and vexation of mynde.¹⁵ The croked can not be made straight, nor the imperfection of thynges can be numbred.¹⁶ I communed with myne owne heart, saying: lo I am come to great estate, and haue gotten more wisdome then all they that haue ben before me in Hierusalem.¹⁷ Yea, my heart had great experience of wisdome & knowledge: for thervnto I applied my mynde, that I myght knowe what were wisdome and vnderstandyng, what were errour and foolishnesse: and I perceaued that this was also but a vexation of mynde.¹⁸ For where much wisdome is, there is also great trauayle and disquietnesse: and the more knowledge a man hath, the more is his care.