¹Mashoko oMuparidzi, mwanako­mana waDhavhidhi, mambo paJeru­saremu.

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

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

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

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

³What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?

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

⁴One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.

⁵Zuva rinobudawo, zuva rinovira, richikurumidzira kwarinozobu­dazve.

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

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

⁶The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

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

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

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

⁸All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

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

⁹That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

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

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

¹¹Marudzi akapfuura haacharanga­rirwi; namarudzi achazotevera, haangato­ngorangarirwi navanozovatevera.

¹¹There is no remembrance of the former [generations]; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among those that shall come after.

¹²Ini Muparidzi, ndakanga ndiri ma­mbo waIsiraeri paJerusaremu.

¹²I the Preacher was 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 applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

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

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

¹⁵Cha­kakombama hachibviri kururamiswa; chi­noshaikwa hachibviri kuverengwa.

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

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

¹⁶I communed with mine own hear, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

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

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

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

¹⁸For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.