Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes; vanity of vanities, and all things be vanity. (Emptiness and futility, said Ecclesiastes; emptiness and futility, yea, everything is empty and futile.)

What hath a man more[over] of all his travail, by which he travaileth under the sun? (What profiteth a person from all his labour, that he laboureth at under the sun?)

and compasseth by the south, and turneth again to the north. The spirit compassing all things goeth about, and turneth again into his circles. (and goeth around to the south, and then returneth to the north. Going around, the wind goeth about touching all things, and then returneth full circle.)

All floods enter into the sea, and the sea floweth not over the marks set of God; the floods turn again to the place from whence they come forth, that they flow [out] again. (All the rivers enter into the sea, and the sea floweth not over the boundaries set by God; the rivers return to the places from where they came forth, only so that they can flow out again.)

All things be hard; a man may not declare those things by word (a person cannot declare all of these things with words alone); the eye is not (ful)filled by sight, neither the ear is filled by hearing.

and I purposed in my soul to seek and ensearch wisely of all things, that be made under the sun. God gave this evil occupation to the sons of men, that they should be occupied therein. (and I purposed in my mind to wisely seek out and to search into everything, that is done under the sun. God gave this difficult task to the sons and daughters of men, so that they would be occupied with it.)

I saw all things that be made under the sun, and lo! all things be vanity and torment of spirit. (I saw everything that is done under the sun, and lo! everything is empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)

I spake in mine heart, and I said, Lo! I am made great, and I passed in wisdom all men, that were before me in Jerusalem; and my soul saw many things wisely, and I learned. (I said in my heart, Lo! I am made great, and I have surpassed in wisdom all who were before me in Jerusalem; I have seen many things, and I have become wise, yea, I have learned much.)

And I gave mine heart, that I should know prudence and doctrine, and errors and folly. And I knew that in these things also was travail and torment of spirit; (And I gave my heart, or I applied my mind, so that I would understand wisdom and doctrine, and errors and foolishness. And I learned that all these things were also empty and futile, like chasing the wind;)

Therefore I said in mine heart, I shall go, and I shall flow in delights, and I shall use goods; and I saw also that this was vanity. (And so I said in my heart, I shall go, and I shall enjoy all delights, and I shall enjoy all good things; and I saw that this was also empty and futile.)

I thought in mine heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, that I should lead over my soul to wisdom, and that I would eschew folly, till I should see, what were profitable to the sons of men; in which deed the number of days of their life under the sun is needful. (I thought in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I could lead over my soul unto wisdom, and so that I would eschew foolishness, until I could see, what was profitable to the sons and daughters of men; yea, which deeds, or works, be useful, or meaningful, all the days of their lives under the sun.)

I made yards and orchards, and I set those with trees of all kind(s);

I had in possession servants and handmaids; and I had much household, and droves of great beasts, and great flocks of sheep, over all men that were before me in Jerusalem. (I had in possession servants and servantesses/male and female slaves; and I had many slaves born in my house, and herds of great beasts, and great flocks of sheep, yea, more than all those who came before me in Jerusalem.)

I gathered together to me silver and gold, and the castles of kings and of provinces; I made to me singers and singeresses, and [the] delights of the sons of men, and cups and vessels in service, to pour out wines; (I gathered together for myself silver and gold, from the castles of kings and out of provinces; I got singers and singeresses for myself, and enjoyed all the delights of the sons and daughters of men, yea, with cups and vessels for service, to pour the wine into;)

and I passed in riches all men that were before me in Jerusalem. Also wisdom dwelled stably with me, (and I surpassed in wealth all those who came before me in Jerusalem. And wisdom dwelled steadfastly with me,)

and all things which mine eyes desired, I denied not to them; neither I refrained mine heart, that not it used all lust, and delighted itself in these things which I had made ready; and I deemed this my part, if I used my travail. (and anything which my eyes desired, I did not deny them; nor did I refrain my heart from anything it desired, and it delighted itself in those things which I had prepared for it; and I judged this my portion, for all my labour.)

And when I had turned me to all the works which mine hands had made, and to the travails in which I had sweated (over) in vain, I saw in all things vanity and torment of soul, and that nothing under [the] sun dwelleth . (And when I turned and looked upon all the works which my hands had made, and upon the labour which I had sweated over, I saw that everything was empty and futile, like chasing the wind, and that nothing remained stable, or unchanging, under the sun.)

For the mind of a wise man shall not be, (and) in like manner as neither (that) of a fool, without end, and [the] times to coming shall cover all things (al)together with forgetting; a learned man dieth in like manner as an unlearned man. (For a wise person shall not be remembered, and in like manner neither shall a fool, yea, for ever, and the times to come shall altogether cover all things with forgetting; for a learned person dieth in the same manner as an unlearned person.)

And therefore it annoyed me of my life, seeing that all things under [the] sun be evil, and that all things be vanity and torment of the spirit. (And so it vexed me to live, seeing that all things under the sun be troublesome, and that everything is empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)

Again I cursed all my busyness, by which I travailed most studiously under [the] sun; and I shall have an heir after me,

whom I know not, whether he shall be wise either a fool; and he shall be lord in my travails, for which I sweated greatly, and was busy; and is there anything so vain? (whom I know not, whether he shall be wise or a fool; but he shall be the lord of all my works, for which I was so busy, and greatly sweated over; is there anything so empty and futile as this?)

For why when another man travaileth in wisdom, and teaching, and busyness, he leaveth things gotten to an idle man; and therefore this is vanity, and great evil. (For though a person laboureth over something with wisdom, and knowledge, and diligence, he must leave all that he hath gotten to someone else, who did not labour over it; and so this is empty and futile, and a great evil.)

For why what shall it profit to a man of all his travail, and torment of spirit, with which he was tormented under [the] sun? (For what shall it profit a person for all his labour, and trials and tribulations, with which he was tormented under the sun?)

All his days be full of sorrows and mischiefs, and by night he resteth not in soul; and whether this is not vanity? (All his days be full of sorrows and mischiefs, and at night his soul resteth not; and is not this all empty and futile?)

Whether it is not better to eat and drink, and to show to his soul [the] goods of his travails? and this thing is of the hand of God. (Is it not better for a person to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good things from all his labour? and this is also from the hand of God.)