Ecclesiastes 3
1 For, every thing, there is a season, —and a time for every pursuit, under the heavens: —
凡事都有定期， 天下萬務都有定時。
2 A time to be born, and a time to die, —A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;
生有時，死有時； 栽種有時，拔出所栽種的也有時；
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal, —A time to break down, and a time to build up;
殺戮有時，醫治有時； 拆毀有時，建造有時；
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh, —A time to wail, and a time to dance for joy;
哭有時，笑有時； 哀慟有時，跳舞有時；
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to heap up stones, —A time to embrace, and a time to be far from loving embrace;
拋擲石頭有時，堆聚石頭有時； 懷抱有時，不懷抱有時；
6 A time to seek, and a time to give up as lost, —A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
尋找有時，失落有時； 保守有時，捨棄有時；
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew, —A time to be silent, and a time to speak;
撕裂有時，縫補有時； 靜默有時，言語有時；
8 A time to love and a time to hate, —A time of war, and a time of peace.
喜愛有時，恨惡有時； 爭戰有時，和好有時。
9 What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled?
這樣看來，做事的人在他的勞碌上有甚麼益處呢？
10 I looked at the employment which God hath given to the sons of men, to work therein:
我見上帝叫世人勞苦，使他們在其中受經練。
11 Everything, hath he made beautiful in its own time, —also, intelligence, hath he put in their heart, without which men could not find out the work which God hath wrought, from the beginning even unto the end.
上帝造萬物，各按其時成為美好，又將永生安置在世人心裏。然而上帝從始至終的作為，人不能參透。
12 I know that there is no blessedness in them, —save to be glad, and to do well with one’s life.
我知道世人，莫強如終身喜樂行善；
13 Though indeed, that any man should eat and drink, and see blessedness, in all his toil, it is, the gift of God.
並且人人吃喝，在他一切勞碌中享福，這也是上帝的恩賜。
14 I know, that, whatsoever God doeth, the same, shall be age-abiding, unto it, there is nothing to add, and, from it, there is nothing to take away, —and, God, hath done it, that men should stand in awe before him.
我知道上帝一切所做的都必永存；無所增添，無所減少。上帝這樣行，是要人在他面前存敬畏的心。
15 That which was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been, —but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased away.
現今的事早先就有了，將來的事早已也有了，並且上帝使已過的事重新再來。
16 Then, again, I saw under the sun, the place of justice, that there was lawlessness, and, the place of righteousness, that there was lawlessness.
我又見日光之下，在審判之處有奸惡，在公義之處也有奸惡。
17 Said, I, in my heart, Both the righteous and the lawless, will God judge, —for [there will be] a time for every pursuit, and concerning every work—there.
我心裏說，上帝必審判義人和惡人；因為在那裏，各樣事務，一切工作，都有定時。
18 Said, I, in my heart, as concerning the sons of men, That God was minded to prove them, —and that they might see, that they were beasts, of themselves.
我心裏說，這乃為世人的緣故，是上帝要試驗他們，使他們覺得自己不過像獸一樣。
19 For, as regardeth the destiny of the sons of men and the destiny of beasts, one fate, have they, as dieth the one, so, dieth the other, and, one spirit, have they all, —and, the pre-eminence of man over beast, is nothing, for, all, were vanity:
因為世人遭遇的，獸也遭遇，所遭遇的都是一樣：這個怎樣死，那個也怎樣死，氣息都是一樣。人不能強於獸，都是虛空。
20 all, go unto one place, —all, came from the dust, and all, return to the dust.
都歸一處，都是出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。
21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of men, whether it, ascendeth, above, —or the spirit of the beast, whether it, descendeth, below, to the earth?
誰知道人的靈是往上升，獸的魂是下入地呢？
22 So I saw, that there was nothing better than that a man should be glad in his works, for, that, is his portion, —for who can bring him in, to look upon that which shall be after him?
故此，我見人莫強如在他經營的事上喜樂，因為這是他的分。他身後的事誰能使他回來得見呢？
