¹Koguja, Taaveti poja, Jeruusalemma kuninga sõnad.

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

²'Tühisuste tühisus,' ütleb Koguja, 'tühisuste tühisus, kõik on tühine!'

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

³Mis kasu on inimesel kogu oma vaevast, millega ta ennast vaevab päikese all?

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

⁴Rahvapõlv läheb ja rahvapõlv tuleb, aga maa püsib igavesti.

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

⁵Ja päike tõuseb ja päike loojub ning läheb tagasi oma paika, kust ta jälle tõuseb.

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

⁶Tuul puhub lõuna poole ja keerutab põhja poole; keereldes, keerutades puhub tuul ja alustab taas oma ringkäiku.

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.

⁷Kõik jõed voolavad merre, aga meri ei saa täis; paika, kuhu jõed on voolanud, sinna voolavad need üha.

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

⁸Kõigist asjust, mis väsitavad, ei suuda ükski rääkida: silm ei küllastu nägemast ja kõrv ei täitu kuulmast.

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

⁹Mis on olnud, see saab olema, ja mis on tehtud, seda tehakse veel - ei ole midagi uut päikese all.

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.

¹⁰Või on midagi, mille kohta võiks öelda: Vaata, see on uus? Kindlasti oli see olemas juba muistsetel aegadel, mis on olnud enne meid.

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.

¹¹Ei ole vaid mälestust endisist asjust ja nõnda ei ole ka mälestust tulevasist asjust neil, kes saavad olema veelgi hiljem.

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.

¹²Mina, Koguja, olin Iisraeli kuningas Jeruusalemmas.

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

¹³Ma pühendasin oma südame teadlikult otsima ja uurima kõike, mis taeva all sünnib: see on õnnetu ülesanne, mille Jumal on andnud inimlastele nende vaevamiseks.

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.

¹⁴Ma nägin igasugu tegusid, mis päikese all tehakse, ja vaata, see kõik on tühi töö ja vaimunärimine.

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

¹⁵Kõverat ei saa teha sirgeks ega loendada seda, mida pole.

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

¹⁶Ma mõtlesin oma südames ja ütlesin: Mina, vaata, olen hankinud suure tarkuse ja olen ületanud kõik need, kes enne mind on valitsenud Jeruusalemma üle, ja mu süda on näinud palju tarkust ja teadmisi.

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.”

¹⁷Ja ma pühendasin oma südame tarkuse mõistmisele, ka meeletuse ja sõgeduse mõistmisele: ma mõistsin, et ka see oli vaimunärimine.

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

¹⁸Sest kus on palju tarkust, seal on palju meelehärmi, ja kes lisab teadmisi, see lisab valu.

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