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

传道者说：“虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。”

传道者说：“虚空的虚空，全是虚空。”

传道者说：“虚空的虚空，全是虚空。”

传道者说：“虚空的虚空，一切都是虚空。”

传道者说：“虚空的虚空，一切都是虚空。”

“虚空的虚空，”传道者说，“全都是虚空！”

傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。」

傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，全是虛空。」

傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，全是虛空。」

傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，一切都是虛空。」

傳道者說：“虛空的虛空，一切都是虛空。”

傳道人說：虛空之虛空；萬事都虛空。

「虛空的虛空，」傳道者說，「全都是虛空！」

傳道者曰、虛空之虛空、萬事虛空、○

傳道者曰、我觀萬事、空之又空、虛之又虛。

柯希列曰、凡事皆虛中之虛、皆屬於虛、○

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile– like chasing the wind!

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.

Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, so no one has power over the day of his death. Just as no one can be discharged during the battle, so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked.

For no one knows what is best for a person during his life– during the few days of his fleeting life– for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.

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.

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.