¹Rangarirawo Musiki wako pamazuva ovujaya bwako, mazuva akaipa asati asvika, namakore asati avapo; panguva yauchazoti handifariri izvozvo;

¹Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

²zuva nechiedza, nomwedzi, nenyeredzi zvisati zvasvibiswa, makore achidzoka kana mvura yapfuura;

²before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

³zuva iro, kana vatariri veimba vachidedera, varume vane simba vachikotama, vakuyi vachirega basa ravo, nekuti vava vashoma; navanotarira napamahwindo vasvibirwa;

³in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows shall be darkened,

⁴mikova ichizarirwa inobudira kunzira dzokumusha, nenzwi rokukuya richidedera; kana achimuka nenzwi reshiri, navaimbi vose vasinganzwiki zvakanaka.

⁴and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

⁵Zvirokwazvo vachatya zvakakwirira, nezvinotyisa zvichanzi zviri panzira; muamanda uchatumbuka maruva, nemhashu ichazvikwekweredza, uye kuda kose kuchapera; nekuti munhu anoenda kumusha wake usingaperi, vachemi vachafamba-famba panzira dzomumusha;

⁵yea, they shall be afraid of [that which is] high, and terrors [shall be] in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:

⁶rwonzi rwesirivha rusati rwasunungurwa, mbiya yendarama isati yaputswa, chirongo chisati chaputswa patsime, nechichereso chinomonerwa chisati chavhunikira pachitubu,

⁶before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

⁷guruva risati radzokera kuvhu, sezvarakanga rakaita; uye mweya usati wadzokera kuna Mwari akaupa.

⁷and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

⁸Zvanzi noMuparidzi, Hazvina maturo chose, zvose hazvina maturo!

⁸Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.

⁹Zvino, Muparidzi zvaakanga ari munhu akachenjera, akapfuura achidzidzisa vanhu zivo; akarangarira, nokunzvera, nokurongedza zvirevo zvizhinji.

⁹And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.

¹⁰Muparidzi wakatsvaka kuti awane mashoko anofadza, uye zvakanyorwa nomoyo wakarurama, ari mashoko ezvokwadi.

¹⁰The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, [even] words of truth.

¹¹Mashoko avakachenjera akafanana nezvibayiso; sembambo dzakaroverwa kwazvo, ndizvo zvakaita mashoko akaunganidzwa, akapiwa noMufudzi mumwechete.

¹¹The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are [the words of] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.

¹²Uyezve, mwanakomana wangu, unyeverwe; kuita bhuku zhinji hakuperi, uye kudzidza kuzhinji kunonetsa muviri.

¹²And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

¹³Zvino magumo eshoko rose ranzwikwa ndirori: Itya Mwari, uchengete mirairo yake; nekuti ndizvo zvakafanira vanhu vose.

¹³[This is] the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty] of man.

¹⁴nekuti Mwari achatonga basa rimwe nerimwe, pamwechete nezvose zvakavanzika, kunyange zvakanaka, kunyange zvakaipa.

¹⁴For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.