¹Ndakati mumoyo mangu, uya zvino, ndichakuidza nomufaro; chifarira zvinhu zvakanaka! Asi tarira, naizvozvowo zvakanga zvisina maturo.

¹I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

²Kana kuri kuseka, ndakati, Upengo! Kana uri mufaro, ndakati, Unobatsireiko?

²I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

³Ndakanzvera moyo wangu, ndione kuti ndingafadza nyama yangu sei newaini, moyo wangu uchindifambisa hawo nouchenjeri, uye kuti ndingaramba ndakabata upenzi, kusvikira ndaona kuti zvakanaka ndezvipi zvingaitwa navanakomana vavanhu pasi pedenga mazuva ose oupenyu hwavo.

³I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

⁴Ndakazviitira mabasa makuru; ndakazvivakira dzimba; ndakazvirimira minda yemizambiringa;

⁴I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

⁵ndakazviitira minda neminda yemiti, ndikasimamo miti inobereka michero yamarudzi ose;

⁵I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

⁶ndakazviitira madziva emvura, kuti ndidiridze matondo pakanga pasimwa miti;

⁶I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

⁷ndakatenga varanda navarandakadzi, ndikava navaranda vakaberekerwa mumba mangu; ndakanga ndine fuma zhinji yemombe nemakwai, kupfuura vose vakanditangira paJerusaremu;

⁷I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

⁸ndakazviunganidzirawo sirivha nendarama, nefuma yamadzimambo neyenyika dzose; ndakazvitsvakira vaimbi varume navakadzi, nezvinofadza zvavanakomana vavanhu, navarongo vemarudzi ose.

⁸I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

⁹Saizvozvo ndakanga ndiri munhu mukuru, ndikaramba ndichikura kupfuura vose vakanditangira paJerusaremu; uye huchenjeri hwangu hwakagara neni.

⁹So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

¹⁰Zvose zvakadikamwa nameso angu handina kuanyima izvozvo; handina kutongodzora moyo wangu pamufaro upi noupi; nekuti moyo wangu wakange uchifara nokubata kwangu kose; ndiwo wakange uri mugove wangu wakabva pakubata kwangu kose.

¹⁰And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

¹¹Zvino ndakacherekedza mabasa ose akanga aitwa namaoko angu, nokubata kose kwandakatambura kubata tarira zvose zvakanga zvisina maturo, kwaiva kudzingana nemhepo chete, kwakanga kusine chinhu chinobatsira pasi pezuva.

¹¹Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

¹²Zvino ndakatendeuka kuti ndicherekedze uchenjeri, noupengo, noupenzi, nekuti chinyi chingaitwa nomunhu unotevera mambo? Izvozvo zvakanguva zvaitwa.

¹²And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

¹³Ipapo ndakaona kuti, Uchenjeri hwakanaka kupfuura upenzi, zvichiita sechiedza chakanaka kupfuura rima.

¹³Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

¹⁴Meso omunhu akachenjera ari mumusoro wake, asi benzi rinofamba murima; kunyange zvakadaro ndakaona kuti vose vanowirwa nechinhu chimwe chete.

¹⁴The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

¹⁵Ipapo ndakati mumoyo mangu, Sezvinoitirwa benzi, ndizvo zvandichaitirwa neniwo; ko ini ndaiva wakachenjera nei ! Ndikati mumoyo mangu, izvi zvose hazvina maturowo.

¹⁵Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

¹⁶nekuti munhu akachenjera akafanana nebenzi pakusarangarirwa nokusingaperi; nekuti zvinozokanganikwa zvose pamazuva anouya. Akachenjera haazinofa sebenzi here?

¹⁶For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

¹⁷Saka ndakavenga upenyu, nekuti basa rinoitwa pasi pezuva rakandinzwisa shungu; nekuti zvose hazvina maturo, ndiko kudzingana nemhepo chete.

¹⁷Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

¹⁸Zvino ndakavenga kubata kwangu kose kwandatambura kubata pasi pezuva, zvandinofanira kuzvisiira munhu anonditevera.

¹⁸Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

¹⁹Zvino ndiani angaziva kana iye achava akachenjera kana benzi? Kunyange zvakadaro achava nesimba pamusoro pokubata kwangu kose kwandakatambura kubata, nezvandakaita nouchenjeri pasi pedenga. Naizvozvowo hazvina maturo.

¹⁹And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

²⁰Saka ndakatendeuka, kuti ndiodze hangu moyo wangu pamusoro pokubata kwangu kose kwandakatambura kubata pasi pezuva.

²⁰Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

²¹nekuti munhu ariko akabata nouchenjeri nezivo noumhizha; kunyange zvakadaro anofanira kuzvisiira mumwe, uve mugove wake,asina kutongozvitamburira. Naizvozvowo hazvina maturo, chinhu chakaipa kwazvo.

²¹For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

²²nekuti munhu anowanei pamusoro pokubata kwake kose, nokushingaira komoyo wake, kwaanobata nako pasi pezuva?

²²For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

²³nekuti mazuva ake ose inhamo chete, nokutambudzika kwake kuchema; zvirokwazvo kunyange usiku moyo wake hauzorori. Naizvozvowo hazvina maturo.

²³For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

²⁴Hakune chinhu chinopfuura ichi,kuti munhu adye amwe afadze mweya wake nezvakanaka pakati pokubata kwake. Ndakaona kuti naizvozvi zvinobva kuruoko rwaMwari.

²⁴There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

²⁵nekuti ndiani angadya, ndiani angafarira chinhu kudarika ini?

²⁵For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

²⁶nekuti munhu, anomufadza, anopiwa huchenjeri, nezivo, nomufaro; asi mutadzi anopiwa kutambudzika, kuti aunganidze nokututira, agozvipa mumwe anofadza Mwari. Naizvozvowo hazvina maturo, ndiko kudzingana nemhepo.

²⁶For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.