传道书 12

1 你趁着年幼、衰败的日子尚未来到，就是你所说，我毫无喜乐的那些年日未曾临近之先，当记念造你的主。

And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2 不要等到日头、光明、月亮、星宿变为黑暗，雨后云彩反回，

before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

3 看守房屋的发颤，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，从窗户往外看的都昏暗；

in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,

4 街门关闭，推磨的响声微小，雀鸟一叫，人就起来，唱歌的女子也都衰微。

and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

5 人怕高处，路上有惊慌，杏树开花，蚱蜢成为重担，人所愿的也都废掉；因为人归他永远的家，吊丧的在街上往来。

they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets; )

6 银链折断，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁损坏，水轮在井口破烂，

— before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;

7 尘土仍归于地，灵仍归于赐灵的 神。

and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.

8 传道者说：“虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。”

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

9 再者，传道者因有智慧，仍将知识教训众人；又默想，又考查，又陈说许多箴言。

And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.

10 传道者专心寻求可喜悦的言语，是凭正直写的诚实话。

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, words of truth.

11 智慧人的言语好像刺棍；会中之师的言语又像钉稳的钉子，都是一个牧者所赐的。

The words of the wise are as goads, and the collections [of them] as nails fastened in: they are given from one shepherd.

12 我儿，还有一层，你当受劝戒：著书多，没有穷尽；读书多，身体疲倦。

And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 这些事都已听见了，总意就是：敬畏 神，谨守他的诫命，这是人所当尽的本分。

Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.

14 因为人所做的事，连一切隐藏的事，无论是善是恶， 神都必审问。

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.