¹Mashoko oMuparidzi, mwanako­mana waDhavhidhi, mambo paJeru­saremu.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁵Zuva rinobudawo, zuva rinovira, richikurumidzira kwarinozobu­dazve.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

¹¹Marudzi akapfuura haacharanga­rirwi; namarudzi achazotevera, haangato­ngorangarirwi navanozovatevera.

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.

¹²Ini Muparidzi, ndakanga ndiri ma­mbo waIsiraeri paJerusaremu.

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

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

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.

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

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

¹⁵Cha­kakombama hachibviri kururamiswa; chi­noshaikwa hachibviri kuverengwa.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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