Ecclesiastes (Wycliffe, 1395): Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Ecclesiastes (Wycliffe, 1395), credited to Wycliffe, John, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Ecclesiastes (1395) translated by John Wycliffe. Read by Martin Geeson. “... an alemaunde tre schal floure, a locuste schal be maad fat, and capparis schal be distried; for a man schal go in to the hous of his euerlastyngnesse...” - Eccl. xii, 5 (see Note below). Traditionally composed by Solomon sometime around 950-970 BCE but dated on linguistic evidence somewhere in the third century, this meditation on the futility of mankind’s striving can bring comfort to those of firm or fragile faith, or of no faith at all. The text used here is a revision of Wycliffe's original translation, made by his follower John Purvey in the mid-1390s. Wycliffe's chapter divisions in some cases differ from those of later versions (the King James, for example). The Preacher, in his musings on the human condition, enlivens his melancholy observations with flashes of angry despair, resentment and even grim humour, all powerfully conveyed by Wycliffe’s translation. Note: The King James Version avoids a direct reference to the aphrodisiac qualities of capparis (caper-berries) in its rendering: “the Almond tree shall flourish, and the grashopper shall be a burden, and desire shall faile...” (Introduction by Martin Geeson)

Recording facts

• Recording title: Ecclesiastes (Wycliffe, 1395)
• Author credits: Wycliffe, John
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 12
• Listed recording duration: 59:25

Catalogue topics

• ecclesiastes
• wycliffe
• middle english

Track guide

1. 01 - Chapter 1 — 4:35
2. 02 - Chapter 2 — 7:14
3. 03 - Chapter 3 — 5:02
4. 04 - Chapter 4 — 6:42
5. 05 - Chapter 5 — 3:13
6. 06 - Chapter 6 — 3:32
7. 07 - Chapter 7 — 6:32
8. 08 - Chapter 8 — 4:43
9. 09 - Chapter 9 — 5:46
10. 10 - Chapter 10 — 4:31
11. 11 - Chapter 11 — 3:06
12. 12 - Chapter 12 — 4:34

Listen to this recording

Open the complete recording and player on Internet Archive. The player includes the full track list and available download formats.

Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.