傳道書 4
1 我又轉念，見日光之下所行的一切欺壓。看哪，受欺壓的流淚，且無人安慰；欺壓他們的有勢力，也無人安慰他們。
Once again I thought about all the oppression that is done under the sun. And behold, the tears of oppressed people, and they had no one to comfort them! Power was in the hand of their oppressors, and there was no one to comfort them!
2 因此，我讚歎那早已死的死人，勝過那還活着的活人。
So I considered those who are already dead more fortunate than the living, who are still alive.
3 並且我以為那未曾生的，就是未見過日光之下惡事的，比這兩等人更強。
However, more fortunate than both of them is the one who has not yet lived, the one who has not seen any of the evil acts that are done under the sun.
4 我又見人為一切的勞碌和各樣靈巧的工作就被鄰舍嫉妒。這也是虛空，也是捕風。
Then I saw that every act of labor and every skillful work became the envy of one's neighbor. This also is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
5 愚昧人抱着手，吃自己的肉。
The fool folds his hands and does not work, so his food is his own flesh.
6 滿了一把，得享安靜，強如滿了兩把，勞碌捕風。
But better is a handful of profit with quiet work than two handfuls with the work that tries to shepherd the wind.
7 我又轉念，見日光之下有一件虛空的事：
Then I thought again about more futility, more vanishing vapor under the sun.
8 有人孤單無二，無子無兄，竟勞碌不息，眼目也不以錢財為足。他說：「我勞勞碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福樂，到底是為誰呢？」這也是虛空，是極重的勞苦。
There is the kind of man who is alone. He does not have anyone, no son or brother. There is no end to all his work, and his eyes are not satisfied with gaining wealth. He wonders, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vapor, a bad situation.
9 兩個人總比一個人好，因為二人勞碌同得美好的果效。
Two people work better than one; together they can earn a good pay for their labor.
10 若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。
For if one falls, the other can lift up his friend. However, sorrow follows the one who is alone when he falls if there is no one to lift him up.
11 再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人獨睡怎能暖和呢？
If two lie down together, they can be warm, but how can one be warm alone?
12 有人攻勝孤身一人，若有二人便能敵擋他；三股合成的繩子不容易折斷。
One man alone can be overpowered, but two can withstand an attack, and a three-strand rope is not quickly broken.
13 貧窮而有智慧的少年人勝過年老不肯納諫的愚昧王。
It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to listen to warnings.
14 這人是從監牢中出來作王，在他國中，生來原是貧窮的。
This is true even if the young man becomes king from prison, or even if he was born poor in his kingdom.
15 我見日光之下一切行動的活人都隨從那第二位，就是起來代替老王的少年人。
I saw everyone who was alive and was walking around under the sun, along with a youth who was to rise up to take his place.
16 他所治理的眾人就是他的百姓，多得無數；在他後來的人尚且不喜悅他。這真是虛空，也是捕風。
There is no end to all the people who want to obey the new king, but later many of them will no longer praise him. Surely this situation is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
