¹以下是傳道者，就是在耶路撒冷作王、大衛的兒子所說的話。

¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

²萬事令人厭倦都是虛空傳道者說：虛空的虛空。虛空的虛空，一切都是虛空。

²“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

³人的一切勞碌，就是他在日光之下的勞碌，對自己有甚麼益處呢？

³What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

⁴一代過去，一代又來，地卻永遠存在。

⁴One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

⁵太陽升起，太陽落下，匆忙回到它上升之處。

⁵The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

⁶風向南颳，又往北轉，循環周行，旋轉不息。

⁶The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

⁷江河向海裡流，海卻不滿溢；江河之水歸回本源，循環流轉。

⁷All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

⁸萬事都令人厭倦，人說，說不盡；眼看，看不飽；耳聽，聽不足。

⁸All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁹已有的事必再有，作過的事必再作；日光之下並無新事。

⁹That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

¹⁰有甚麼事人可以說：“看啊！這是新的”？其實，很久之前已經有了，在我們之前早就有了。

¹⁰Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new?” It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

¹¹以前的事，無人記念；將來的事，後來的人也不追憶。

¹¹There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

¹²智慧知識都是虛空那時，我傳道者在耶路撒冷作以色列的王。

¹²I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³我曾用智慧專心尋求查究天下所發生的一切事；原來　神給予世人的，是勞苦的擔子，叫他們為此煩惱。

¹³I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.” has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴我看過日光之下所發生的一切事，不料，一切都是虛空，都是捕風。

¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵彎曲的，不能弄直；缺少的，不能數算。

¹⁵That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶我自己心裡說：“我得了極大的智慧，勝過所有在我以前統治耶路撒冷的人；我見識了許多智慧與知識。”

¹⁶I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷我又專心究察智慧和知識，狂妄和愚昧，才知道這也是捕風。

¹⁷I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁸因為多有智慧，就多有煩惱；加增知識，就加增痛苦。

¹⁸For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.