Ecclesiastes 5

1 Put your feet down with care when you go to the house of God, for it is better to give ear than to make the burned offerings of the foolish, whose knowledge is only of doing evil.

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。

2 Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth — so let not the number of your words be great.

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。

3 As a dream comes from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number.

事务多，就令人做梦；言语多，就显出愚昧。

4 When you take an oath before God, put it quickly into effect, because he has no pleasure in the foolish; keep the oath you have taken.

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。

5 It is better not to take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.

你许愿不还，不如不许。

6 Let not your mouth make your flesh do evil. And say not before the angel, It was an error. So that God may not be angry with your words and put an end to the work of your hands.

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？

7 Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.

多梦和多言，其中多有虚幻，你只要敬畏 神。

8 If you see the poor under a cruel yoke, and law and right being violently overturned in a country, be not surprised, because one authority is keeping watch on another and there are higher than they.

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。

9 It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.

况且地的益处归众人，就是君王也受田地的供应。

10 He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.

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。

11 When goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?

货物增添，吃的人也增添，物主得什么益处呢？不过眼看而已！

12 The sleep of a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.

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。

13 There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun — wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.

我见日光之下有一宗大祸患，就是财主积存资财，反害自己。

14 And I saw the destruction of his wealth by an evil chance; and when he became the father of a son he had nothing in his hand.

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。

15 As he came from his mother at birth, so does he go again; he gets from his work no reward which he may take away in his hand.

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。

16 And this again is a great evil, that in all points as he came so will he go; and what profit has he in working for the wind?

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？

17 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.

并且他终身在黑暗中吃喝，多有烦恼，又有病患呕气。

18 This is what I have seen: it is good and fair for a man to take meat and drink and to have joy in all his work under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; that is his reward.

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。

19 Every man to whom God has given money and wealth and the power to have pleasure in it and to do his part and have joy in his work: this is given by God.

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。

20 He will not give much thought to the days of his life; because God lets him be taken up with the joy of his heart.

他不多思念自己一生的年日，因为 神应他的心使他喜乐。