Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is an euill, which I sawe vnder the sunne, and it is much among men:

我見日光之下有一宗禍患重壓在人身上，

2 A man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth: but God giueth him not power to eate thereof, but a strange man shall eate it vp: this is vanitie, and this is an euill sicknesse.

就是人蒙上帝賜他資財、豐富、尊榮，以致他心裏所願的一樣都不缺，只是上帝使他不能吃用，反有外人來吃用。這是虛空，也是禍患。

3 If a man beget an hundreth children and liue many yeeres, and the dayes of his yeeres be multiplied, and his soule be not satisfied with good things, and he be not buried, I say that an vntimely fruite is better then he.

人若生一百個兒子，活許多歲數，以致他的年日甚多，心裏卻不得滿享福樂，又不得埋葬；據我說，那不到期而落的胎比他倒好。

4 For he commeth into vanitie and goeth into darkenesse: and his name shall be couered with darkenesse.

因為虛虛而來，暗暗而去，名字被黑暗遮蔽，

5 Also he hath not seene ye sunne, nor knowen it: therefore this hath more rest then the other.

並且沒有見過天日，也毫無知覺；這胎，比那人倒享安息。

6 And if he had liued a thousand yeeres twise tolde, and had seene no good, shall not all goe to one place?

那人雖然活千年，再活千年，卻不享福，眾人豈不都歸一個地方去嗎？

7 All the labour of man is for his mouth: yet the soule is not filled.

人的勞碌都為口腹，心裏卻不知足。

8 For what hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?

這樣看來，智慧人比愚昧人有甚麼長處呢？窮人在眾人面前知道如何行，有甚麼長處呢？

9 The sight of ye eye is better then to walke in ye lustes: this also is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.

眼睛所看的比心裏妄想的倒好。這也是虛空，也是捕風。

10 What is that that hath bene? the name thereof is nowe named: and it is knowen that it is man: and he cannot striue with him that is stronger then he.

先前所有的，早已起了名，並知道何為人，他也不能與那比自己力大的相爭。

11 Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?

加增虛浮的事既多，這與人有甚麼益處呢？

12 For who knoweth what is good for man in the life and in the nomber of the dayes of the life of his vanitie, seeing he maketh them as a shadowe? For who can shewe vnto man what shall be after him vnder the sunne?

人一生虛度的日子，就如影兒經過，誰知道甚麼與他有益呢？誰能告訴他身後在日光之下有甚麼事呢？