传道书 3
1 凡事都有定期， 天下万务都有定时。
All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval.
2 生有时，死有时； 栽种有时，拔出所栽种的也有时；
A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted.
3 杀戮有时，医治有时； 拆毁有时，建造有时；
A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
4 哭有时，笑有时； 哀恸有时，跳舞有时；
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
5 抛掷石头有时，堆聚石头有时； 怀抱有时，不怀抱有时；
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
6 寻找有时，失落有时； 保守有时，舍弃有时；
A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
7 撕裂有时，缝补有时； 静默有时，言语有时；
A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to be silent, and a time to speak.
8 喜爱有时，恨恶有时； 争战有时，和好有时。
A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.
9 这样看来，做事的人在他的劳碌上有什么益处呢？
What more does a man have from his labor?
10 我见 神叫世人劳苦，使他们在其中受经练。
I have seen the affliction that God has given to the sons of men, in order that they may be occupied by it.
11 神造万物，各按其时成为美好，又将永生安置在世人心里。然而 神从始至终的作为，人不能参透。
He has made all things good in their time, and he has handed over the world to their disputes, so that man may not discover the work which God made from the beginning, even until the end.
12 我知道世人，莫强如终身喜乐行善；
And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.
13 并且人人吃喝，在他一切劳碌中享福，这也是 神的恩赐。
For this is a gift from God: when each man eats and drinks, and sees the good results of his labor.
14 我知道 神一切所做的都必永存；无所增添，无所减少。 神这样行，是要人在他面前存敬畏的心。
I have learned that all the works which God has made continue on, in perpetuity. We are not able to add anything, nor to take anything away, from those things which God has made in order that he may be feared.
15 现今的事早先就有了，将来的事早已也有了，并且 神使已过的事重新再来。
What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away.
16 我又见日光之下，在审判之处有奸恶，在公义之处也有奸恶。
I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity.
17 我心里说， 神必审判义人和恶人；因为在那里，各样事务，一切工作，都有定时。
And I said in my heart: “God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.”
18 我心里说，这乃为世人的缘故，是 神要试验他们，使他们觉得自己不过像兽一样。
I said in my heart, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild animals.
19 因为世人遭遇的，兽也遭遇，所遭遇的都是一样：这个怎样死，那个也怎样死，气息都是一样。人不能强于兽，都是虚空。
For this reason, the passing away of man and of beasts is one, and the condition of both is equal. For as a man dies, so also do they die. All things breathe similarly, and man has nothing more than beast; for all these are subject to vanity.
20 都归一处，都是出于尘土，也都归于尘土。
And all things continue on to one place; for from the earth they were made, and unto the earth they shall return together.
21 谁知道人的灵是往上升，兽的魂是下入地呢？
Who knows if the spirit of the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?
22 故此，我见人莫强如在他经营的事上喜乐，因为这是他的分。他身后的事谁能使他回来得见呢？
And I have discovered nothing to be better than for a man to rejoice in his work: for this is his portion. And who shall add to him, so that he may know the things that will occur after him?
