< 传道书 2 >

1 我心里说:“来吧,我以喜乐试试你,你好享福!”谁知,这也是虚空。
I said in my heart, “Come, now, I will try thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure!” But, lo! this also was vanity.
2 我指嬉笑说:“这是狂妄。”论喜乐说:“有何功效呢?”
I said of laughter, “It is mad;” and of mirth, “What availeth it?”
3 我心里察究,如何用酒使我肉体舒畅,我心却仍以智慧引导我;又如何持住愚昧,等我看明世人,在天下一生当行何事为美。
I thought in my heart to strengthen my body with wine, and, while my heart cleaved to wisdom, to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was good for the sons of men, which they should do under heaven all the days of their life.
4 我为自己动大工程,建造房屋,栽种葡萄园,
I made me great works. I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards.
5 修造园囿,在其中栽种各样果木树;
I made me gardens and parks, and planted in them fruit-trees of every kind.
6 挖造水池,用以浇灌嫩小的树木。
I made me pools of water, with which to water the grove shooting up trees.
7 我买了仆婢,也有生在家中的仆婢;又有许多牛群羊群,胜过以前在耶路撒冷众人所有的。
I got me men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
8 我又为自己积蓄金银和君王的财宝,并各省的财宝;又得唱歌的男女和世人所喜爱的物,并许多的妃嫔。
I heaped me up also silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and of provinces. I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delight of the sons of men, a chosen woman and chosen women.
9 这样,我就日见昌盛,胜过以前在耶路撒冷的众人。我的智慧仍然存留。
So I became greater than all that were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
10 凡我眼所求的,我没有留下不给它的;我心所乐的,我没有禁止不享受的;因我的心为我一切所劳碌的快乐,这就是我从劳碌中所得的分。
And whatever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy. For my heart rejoiced by means of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
11 后来,我察看我手所经营的一切事和我劳碌所成的功。谁知都是虚空,都是捕风;在日光之下毫无益处。
Then I looked upon all the works which my hands had wrought, and upon all the labor which I had toiled in performing; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 我转念观看智慧、狂妄,和愚昧。在王以后而来的人还能做什么呢?也不过行早先所行的就是了。
Then I turned myself to behold wisdom and senselessness and folly. For what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
13 我便看出智慧胜过愚昧,如同光明胜过黑暗。
I saw, indeed, that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 智慧人的眼目光明,愚昧人在黑暗里行。我却看明有一件事,这两等人都必遇见。
The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness; yet I perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 我就心里说:“愚昧人所遇见的,我也必遇见,我为何更有智慧呢?”我心里说,这也是虚空。
Then I said in my heart, “As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth to me. Why, then, became I wiser than others?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.”
16 智慧人和愚昧人一样,永远无人记念,因为日后都被忘记;可叹智慧人死亡,与愚昧人无异。
For there is no remembrance of the wise man more than of the fool for ever; for in the days to come shall all have long been forgotten; and, alas! the wise man dieth, as well as the fool.
17 我所以恨恶生命;因为在日光之下所行的事我都以为烦恼,都是虚空,都是捕风。
Therefore I hated life, because what is done under the sun appeared evil to me. For all is vanity, and striving after wind.
18 我恨恶一切的劳碌,就是我在日光之下的劳碌,因为我得来的必留给我以后的人。
Yea, I hated all my labor which I had performed under the sun, because I must leave it to the man that shall be after me.
19 那人是智慧是愚昧,谁能知道?他竟要管理我劳碌所得的,就是我在日光之下用智慧所得的。这也是虚空。
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he be lord of all the labor with which I have wearied myself, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 故此,我转想我在日光之下所劳碌的一切工作,心便绝望。
Therefore I turned to give up my heart to despair in regard to all the labor with which I had wearied myself under the sun.
21 因为有人用智慧、知识、灵巧所劳碌得来的,却要留给未曾劳碌的人为分。这也是虚空,也是大患。
For there is a man whose labor has been with wisdom and knowledge and skill; yet to a man who hath not labored for it must he leave it as his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 人在日光之下劳碌累心,在他一切的劳碌上得着什么呢?
For what hath man of all his labor, and the striving of his spirit, with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
23 因为他日日忧虑,他的劳苦成为愁烦,连夜间心也不安。这也是虚空。
For all his days are grief, and his occupation trouble; even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
24 人莫强如吃喝,且在劳碌中享福,我看这也是出于 神的手。
There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink, and let his soul enjoy good in his labor. But this, as I have seen, cometh from the hand of God.
25 论到吃用、享福,谁能胜过我呢?
For who can eat, or hasten thereunto more than I?
26 神喜悦谁,就给谁智慧、知识,和喜乐;惟有罪人, 神使他劳苦,叫他将所收聚的、所堆积的归给 神所喜悦的人。这也是虚空,也是捕风。
For to a man who is good in his sight God giveth wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he giveth the wearisome business of gathering and heaping up, to give it to him who is good before God. This also is vanity, and striving after wind.

< 传道书 2 >