传道书 4
1 我又转念，见日光之下所行的一切欺压。看哪，受欺压的流泪，且无人安慰；欺压他们的有势力，也无人安慰他们。
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，我赞叹那早已死的死人，胜过那还活着的活人。
So I considered those who are already dead more fortunate than the living, who are still alive.
3 并且我以为那未曾生的，就是未见过日光之下恶事的，比这两等人更强。
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 我又见人为一切的劳碌和各样灵巧的工作就被邻舍嫉妒。这也是虚空，也是捕风。
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 满了一把，得享安静，强如满了两把，劳碌捕风。
But better is a handful of profit with quiet work than two handfuls with the work that tries to shepherd the wind.
7 我又转念，见日光之下有一件虚空的事：
Then I thought again about more futility, more vanishing vapor under the sun.
8 有人孤单无二，无子无兄，竟劳碌不息，眼目也不以钱财为足。他说：“我劳劳碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福乐，到底是为谁呢？”这也是虚空，是极重的劳苦。
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 两个人总比一个人好，因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效。
Two people work better than one; together they can earn a good pay for their labor.
10 若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来，这人就有祸了。
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，一人独睡怎能暖和呢？
If two lie down together, they can be warm, but how can one be warm alone?
12 有人攻胜孤身一人，若有二人便能敌挡他；三股合成的绳子不容易折断。
One man alone can be overpowered, but two can withstand an attack, and a three-strand rope is not quickly broken.
13 贫穷而有智慧的少年人胜过年老不肯纳谏的愚昧王。
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 这人是从监牢中出来作王，在他国中，生来原是贫穷的。
This is true even if the young man becomes king from prison, or even if he was born poor in his kingdom.
15 我见日光之下一切行动的活人都随从那第二位，就是起来代替老王的少年人。
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 他所治理的众人就是他的百姓，多得无数；在他后来的人尚且不喜悦他。这真是虚空，也是捕风。
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.
