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

¹Mashoko oMuparidzi, mwanako­mana waDhavhidhi, mambo paJeru­saremu.

²Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.

²Zvanzi noMuparidzi, hazvina ma­turo chose, hazvina maturo chose, zvose hazvina maturo chose!

³What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?

³Munhu angaba­tsirweiko nokutambudzika kwake kose, kwaanotambudzika nako pasi pezuva?

⁴[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.

⁴Rudzi rumwe runoenda, rumwe ru­dzi runouya; asi pasi panongogarapo nokusingaperi.

⁵The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.

⁵Zuva rinobudawo, zuva rinovira, richikurumidzira kwarinozobu­dazve.

⁶The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

⁶Mhepo inoenda zasi, yodzoka yoenda kumusoro; inoramba ichidzoka pakufamba kwayo; mhepo inodzokerazve pakupotereka kwayo.

⁷All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.

⁷Nzizi dzose dzinodira mugungwa, kunyange zvakadaro gungwa harizari; kunzvimbo kunoenda nzizi, ndiko kwa­dzinodzokerazve.

⁸All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁸Zvinhu zvose zvi­zere nokuneta; hakuna munhu angazvi­taura; ziso hariguti nokuona, nzeve haizari nokunzwa.

⁹That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.

⁹Chakanga chiripo, ndicho chichazovapo, chakamboitwa, ndicho chichazoitwa; hapane chinhu chitsva pasi pezuva.

¹⁰Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.

¹⁰Chinhu chiriko here, chatingati, Tarirai, chinhu ichi chitvsa? Chakanga chichingovapo kare, panguva dzakatita­ngira.

¹¹There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.

¹¹Marudzi akapfuura haacharanga­rirwi; namarudzi achazotevera, haangato­ngorangarirwi navanozovatevera.

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

¹²Ini Muparidzi, ndakanga ndiri ma­mbo waIsiraeri paJerusaremu.

¹³And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.

¹³Ndika­rwadza moyo wangu kutsvaka noku­nzvera nouchenjeri zvose zvinoitwa pasi pedenga; ibasa rinotambudza rakapiwa vanakomana vavanhu vaMwari, kuti va­zvitambudze naro.

¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

¹⁴Ndakaona mabasa ose anoitwa pasi pezuva; tarirai, zvose hazvina maturo, ndiko kudzingana nemhepo chete.

¹⁵That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁵Cha­kakombama hachibviri kururamiswa; chi­noshaikwa hachibviri kuverengwa.

¹⁶I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁶Ndakataurirana nomoyo wangu, ndichiti, Tarira ndazviwanira uchenjeri hukuru, kukunda vose vakanditangira paJerusaremu;zvirokwazvo moyo wangu wakaona uchenjeri huzhinji nezivo.

¹⁷And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.

¹⁷Asi ndakati ndichirwadza moyo wa­ngu kuti ndizive uchenjeri nezivo, noupe­ngo noupenzi, ndikaona kuti naizvozvowo ndiko kudzingana nemhepo chete.

¹⁸For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

¹⁸nekuti muuchenjeri huzhinji munoku­chema kuzhinji; uye anowedzera zivo, anowedzera shungu.