< 传道书 5 >

1 你到 神的殿要谨慎脚步;因为近前听,胜过愚昧人献祭,他们本不知道所做的是恶。
Keep thy foot, when thou goest unto the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than dullards to offer sacrifice, —for they make no acknowledgment of doing wrong.
2 你在 神面前不可冒失开口,也不可心急发言;因为 神在天上,你在地下,所以你的言语要寡少。
Be not rash with thy mouth, and, with thy heart, be not in haste to bring forth a word, before God, —for, God, is in the heavens, and, thou, upon the earth, for this cause, let thy words be few.
3 事务多,就令人做梦;言语多,就显出愚昧。
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, —and, the voice of a dullard, is with a multitude of words.
4 你向 神许愿,偿还不可迟延,因他不喜悦愚昧人,所以你许的愿应当偿还。
When thou vowest a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it, for there is no pleasure in dullards, —what thou vowest, pay!
5 你许愿不还,不如不许。
Better that thou shouldest not vow, —than vow, and not pay.
6 不可任你的口使肉体犯罪,也不可在祭司面前说是错许了。为何使 神因你的声音发怒,败坏你手所做的呢?
Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin, —neither say thou, before the messenger, that it was, a mistake, —wherefore should God be indignant at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 多梦和多言,其中多有虚幻,你只要敬畏 神。
For [it was done] amidst a multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words, —but, towards God, be thou reverent.
8 你若在一省之中见穷人受欺压,并夺去公义公平的事,不要因此诧异;因有一位高过居高位的鉴察,在他们以上还有更高的。
If, the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of justice and righteousness, thou see in the province, do not be astonished over the matter, —for, one high above the highest, is watching, yea, the Most High, is over them.
9 况且地的益处归众人,就是君王也受田地的供应。
And, the profit of the earth, is, for all, —a king, by the field, is served.
10 贪爱银子的,不因得银子知足;贪爱丰富的,也不因得利益知足。这也是虚空。
He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver nor, he that loveth abundance, with revenue, —even this, was vanity.
11 货物增添,吃的人也增添,物主得什么益处呢?不过眼看而已!
When blessings are increased, increased are the eaters thereof, —what profit, then, to the owner of them saving the sight of his eyes?
12 劳碌的人不拘吃多吃少,睡得香甜;富足人的丰满却不容他睡觉。
Sweet the sleep of the labourer, whether, little or much, he eat, —but, the surfeit of the rich man, will not suffer him to sleep.
13 我见日光之下有一宗大祸患,就是财主积存资财,反害自己。
Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;
14 因遭遇祸患,这些资财就消灭;那人若生了儿子,手里也一无所有。
and those riches perish, by being ill employed, —and though he begetteth a son, yet is there in his hand nothing at all.
15 他怎样从母胎赤身而来,也必照样赤身而去;他所劳碌得来的,手中分毫不能带去。
As he came from his mother’s womb, naked, he again departeth, as he came, —and, nothing, can he take of his toil, which he can carry in his hand.
16 他来的情形怎样,他去的情形也怎样。这也是一宗大祸患。他为风劳碌有什么益处呢?
Even this, moreover, is an incurable evil, altogether as he came, so, shall he depart, —what profit then shall he have who toileth for the wind?
17 并且他终身在黑暗中吃喝,多有烦恼,又有病患呕气。
Even all his days, [are spent] in darkness and mourning, —and he is very morose, and is sad and angry.
18 我所见为善为美的,就是人在 神赐他一生的日子吃喝,享受日光之下劳碌得来的好处,因为这是他的分。
Lo! what, I myself, have seen—Better that it should be excellent to eat and to drink and to see blessedness, in all one’s toil wherein one toileth under the sun, for the number of the days of his life, in that God hath given it him, for, that, is his portion:
19 神赐人资财丰富,使他能以吃用,能取自己的分,在他劳碌中喜乐,这乃是 神的恩赐。
yet, as regardeth every man, to whom God hath given wealth and goods, and granted him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to find gladness in his toil, this, is, the gift of God.
20 他不多思念自己一生的年日,因为 神应他的心使他喜乐。
Though it be not much, let him remember the days of his life, —for, God, beareth witness, by the gladness of his heart.

< 传道书 5 >