“ Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher,“ Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”

传道者说：虚空的虚空，虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。

传道者说：虚空的虚空，虚空的虚空，全是虚空。

传道者说：虚空的虚空，虚空的虚空，全是虚空。

传道者说：虚空的虚空，虚空的虚空，一切都是虚空。

传道者说：虚空的虚空。虚空的虚空，一切都是虚空。

“虚空的虚空，”传道者说，“虚空的虚空，全都是虚空！”

傳道者說：虛空的虛空，虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。

傳道者說：虛空的虛空，虛空的虛空，全是虛空。

傳道者說：虛空的虛空，虛空的虛空，全是虛空。

傳道者說：虛空的虛空，虛空的虛空，一切都是虛空。

傳道者說：虛空的虛空。虛空的虛空，一切都是虛空。

傳道人說：虛空之虛空！虛空之虛空！萬事都虛空！

「虛空的虛空，」傳道者說，「虛空的虛空，全都是虛空！」

傳道者曰、虛空之虛空、虛空之虛空、萬事虛空、

吾觀萬事、空之又空、虛之又虛、

柯希列曰、凡事虛中之虛、虛中之虛、皆屬於虛、

“ Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.“ Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

“ Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” says the Teacher.“ Everything is completely meaningless! Nothing has any meaning.”

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

“ Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher,“ completely meaningless!”

“ Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.“ Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

“ Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher,“ Futility of futilities! All is futility.”

“ Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;“ Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

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

“ Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.“ Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

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

“ Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;“ Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

People are like a vapor, their days like a shadow that disappears.

For the creation was subjected to futility– not willingly but because of God who subjected it– in hope

“ Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher,“ All of these things are futile!”

Look, you make my days short-lived, and my life span is nothing from your perspective. Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor.Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. Surely they accumulate worthless wealth without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile.

Men are nothing but a mere breath; human beings are unreliable. When they are weighed in the scales, all of them together are lighter than air.Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! If wealth increases, do not become attached to it!

So I loathed life because what happens on earth seems awful to me; for all the benefits of wisdom are futile– like chasing the wind.

Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also is futile!

Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“ All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”

For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth– only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile– like chasing the wind!

For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile!

A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments,“ For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is futile and a burdensome task!

So I thought to myself,“ The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“ The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”

Banish emotional stress from your mind. and put away pain from your body; for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.

Then I considered all the skillful work that is done: Surely it is nothing more than competition between one person and another. This also is profitless– like chasing the wind.

For the fate of humans and the fate of animals are the same: As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath. There is no advantage for humans over animals, for both are fleeting.

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!

So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many– all that is about to come is obscure.

There is no end to all the people nor to the past generations, yet future generations will not rejoice in him. This also is profitless and like chasing the wind.

The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?