傳道書

第 2 章

1. 我心裡說、來罷、我以喜樂試試你、你好享福．誰知、這也是虛空。
I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless.
2. 我指嬉笑說、這是狂妄．論喜樂說、有何功效呢。
"Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?"
3. 我心裡察究、如何用酒使我肉體舒暢、我心卻仍以智慧引導我．又如何持住愚昧、等我看明世人、在天下一生當行何事為美。
I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly--my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
4. 我為自己動大工程、建造房屋、栽種葡萄園、
I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
5. 修造園囿、在其中栽種各樣果木樹、
I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
6. 挖造水池、用以澆灌嫩小的樹木．
I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.
7. 我買了僕婢、也有生在家中的僕婢．又有許多牛群羊群、勝過以前在耶路撒冷眾人所有的．
I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
8. 我又為自己積蓄金銀、和君王的財寶、並各省的財寶．又得唱歌的男女、和世人所喜愛的物、並許多的妃嬪。
I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well--the delights of the heart of man.
9. 這樣、我就日見昌盛、勝過以前在耶路撒冷的眾人．我的智慧仍然存留。
I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10. 凡我眼所求的、我沒有留下不給他的．我心所樂的、我沒有禁止不享受的．因我的心為我一切所勞碌的快樂．這就是我從勞碌中所得的分。
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
11. 後來我察看我手所經營的一切事、和我勞碌所成的功．誰知都是虛空、都是捕風、在日光之下毫無益處。
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
12. 我轉念觀看智慧、狂妄、和愚昧．在王以後而來的人、還能作作甚麼呢．也不過行早先所行的就是了。
Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done?
13. 我便看出智慧勝過愚昧、如同光明勝過黑暗。
I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
14. 智慧人的眼目光明、〔光明原文作在他頭上〕、愚昧人在黑暗裡行．我卻看明有一件事、這兩等人都必遇見。
The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
15. 我就心裡說、愚昧人所遇見的、我也必遇見．我為何更有智慧呢．我心裡說、這也是虛空。
Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless."
16. 智慧人、和愚昧人一樣、永遠無人記念．因為日後都被忘記．可歎智慧人死亡、與愚昧人無異。
For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!
17. 我所以恨惡生命、因為在日光之下所行的事我都以為煩惱．都是虛空、都是捕風。
So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
18. 我恨惡一切的勞碌、就是我在日光之下的勞碌、因為我得來的必留給我以後的人。
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.
19. 那人是智慧、是愚昧、誰能知道．他竟要管理我勞碌所得的、就是我在日光之下用智慧所得的．這也是虛空。
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.
20. 故此、我轉想我在日光之下所勞碌的一切工作、心便絕望。
So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.
21. 因為有人用智慧知識靈巧所勞碌得來的、卻要留給未曾勞碌的人為分．這也是虛空、也是大患。
For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.
22. 人在日光之下勞碌累心、在他一切的勞碌上得著甚麼呢。
What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun?
23. 因為他日日憂慮他的勞苦成為愁煩．連夜間心也不安．這也是虛空。
All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
24. 人莫強如喫喝、且在勞碌中享福．我看這也是出於　神的手。
A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,
25. 論到喫用、享福、誰能勝過我呢。
for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
26. 　神喜悅誰、就給誰智慧、知識、和喜樂．惟有罪人、　神使他勞苦、叫他將所收聚的、所堆積的、歸給　神所喜悅的人．這也是虛空、也是捕風。
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.