¹[Fitarihan-teny milaza ny maha-zava-poana ny zavatra rehetra] Ny tenin'i Mpitoriteny, zanak'i Davida, mpanjaka tany Jerosalema.

¹Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

²Zava-poana dia zava-poana, hoy Mpitoriteny, zava-poana dia zava-poana, eny, zava-poana ny zavatra rehetra!

²Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.

³Inona no soa azon'ny olona amin'ny fisasarany rehetra izay isasarany atỳ ambanin'ny masoandro?

³What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?

⁴Lasa ny taranaka iray, ary mandimby kosa ny taranaka iray; fa ny tany mbola maharitra mandrakizay.

⁴A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.

⁵Ny masoandro koa miposaka ary ny masoandro milentika sady miriotra ho any amin'ny fitoerana izay niposahany.

⁵Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.

⁶Mianatsimo ny rivotra, dia mihodina mianavaratra, mivezivezy mandrakariva izy ka miverimberina manodidina indray.

⁶Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.

⁷Ny renirano rehetra dia samy mankamin'ny ranomasina, nefa tsy tondraka ny ranomasina; any amin'izay falehan'ny renirano ihany no iverenany indray.

⁷All the streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go.

⁸Maivana ny teny rehetra, ka tsy misy olona mahalaza; ny maso tsy mamo mijery, ary ny sofina tsy mamo mihaino.[Heb. Feno fahasasarana][Na: Feno fahasasarana ny zavatra rehetra ka tsy hain'ny olona lazaina]

⁸All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.

⁹Izay efa teo ihany no ho tonga indray, ary izay efa natao ihany no mbola hatao indray fa tsy misy zava-baovao akory atỳ ambanin'ny masoandro.

⁹What [is] that which hath been? it [is] that which is, and what [is] that which hath been done? it [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.

¹⁰Raha misy zavatra azo lazaina hoe: He! ity no vaovao, dia ilay efa teo ela tany amin'ny andro talohantsika ihany izany.

¹⁰There is a thing of which [one] saith: `See this, it [is] new!` already it hath been in the ages that were before us!

¹¹Tsy misy fahatsiarovana ny taloha; ary ny ho avy koa dia tsy hotsarovan'izay handimby azy.

¹¹There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.

¹²[Ny tsy ahitana fahafaham-po, na dia amin'ny fitadiavam-pahendrena aza] Izaho Mpitoriteny dia mpanjakan'ny Isiraely tany Jerosalema;

¹²I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³ary nampiasaiko ny foko mba hitady sy hikatsaka amim-pahendrena ny zavatra rehetra izay atao atỳ ambanin'ny lanitra; asa mahareraka omen'Andriamanitra hisasaran'ny zanak'olombelona izany.

¹³And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

¹⁴Efa hitako ny zavatra rehetra izay atao atỳ ambanin'ny masoandro; fa, indro, zava-poana sy misambo-drivotra foana izany rehetra izany.[Na: Homan-drivotra]

¹⁴I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!

¹⁵Ny meloka tsy mety tonga mahitsy; ary ny tsy ao tsy mba azo isaina.[Na: ny tsi-fahampiana dia tsy tambo isaina]

¹⁵A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.

¹⁶Hoy izaho tamin'ny foko: Indro, izaho nahazo fahendrena be dia be mihoatra noho izay rehetra talohako teto Jerosalema; eny, ny foko nahita ny fahendrena sy ny fahalalana betsaka.

¹⁶I — I spake with my heart, saying, `I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷Ary nampiasaiko ny foko hahalala fahendrena sy hahalala fahaverezan-tsaina sy fahadalana; dia fantatro fa misambo-drivotra foana koa izany,[Na: Homan-drivotra]satria izay be fahendrena dia be alahelo, ary izay mitombo fahalalana dia mitombo fahoriana.

¹⁷And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;

¹⁸satria izay be fahendrena dia be alahelo, ary izay mitombo fahalalana dia mitombo fahoriana.

¹⁸for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.`