Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? the wisedome of a man doth make his face to shine: and the strength of his face shalbe changed.
誰如智慧人呢？ 誰知道事情的解釋呢？ 人的智慧使他的臉發光， 並使他臉上的暴氣改變。
2 I aduertise thee to take heede to ye mouth of the King, and to the worde of the othe of God.
我勸你遵守王的命令；既指上帝起誓，理當如此。
3 Haste not to goe forth of his sight: stand not in an euill thing: for he will doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him.
不要急躁離開王的面前，不要固執行惡，因為他凡事都隨自己的心意而行。
4 Where the word of ye King is, there is power, and who shall say vnto him, What doest thou?
王的話本有權力，誰敢問他說「你做甚麼」呢？
5 He that keepeth the commandement, shall knowe none euill thing, and the heart of the wise shall knowe the time and iudgement.
凡遵守命令的，必不經歷禍患；智慧人的心能辨明時候和定理。
6 For to euery purpose there is a time and iudgement, because the miserie of man is great vpon him.
各樣事務成就都有時候和定理，因為人的苦難重壓在他身上。
7 For he knoweth not that which shalbe: for who can tell him when it shalbe?
他不知道將來的事，因為將來如何，誰能告訴他呢？
8 Man is not lorde ouer the spirit to retaine the spirite: neither hath hee power in the day of death, nor deliuerance in the battell, neither shall wickednesse deliuer the possessers thereof.
無人有權力掌管生命，將生命留住；也無人有權力掌管死期；這場爭戰，無人能免；邪惡也不能救那好行邪惡的人。
9 All this haue I seene, and haue giuen mine heart to euery worke, which is wrought vnder the sunne, and I sawe a time that man ruleth ouer man to his owne hurt.
這一切我都見過，也專心查考日光之下所做的一切事。有時這人管轄那人，令人受害。
10 And likewise I sawe the wicked buried, and they returned, and they that came from the holy place, were yet forgotten in the citie where they had done right: this also is vanitie.
我見惡人埋葬，歸入墳墓；又見行正直事的離開聖地，在城中被人忘記。這也是虛空。
11 Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill.
因為斷定罪名不立刻施刑，所以世人滿心作惡。
12 Though a sinner doe euill an hundreth times, and God prolongeth his dayes, yet I knowe that it shalbe well with them that feare the Lord, and doe reuerence before him.
罪人雖然作惡百次，倒享長久的年日；然而我準知道，敬畏上帝的，就是在他面前敬畏的人，終久必得福樂。
13 But it shall not be well to the wicked, neither shall he prolong his dayes: he shall be like a shadowe, because he feareth not before God.
惡人卻不得福樂，也不得長久的年日；這年日好像影兒，因他不敬畏上帝。
14 There is a vanitie, which is done vpon the earth, that there be righteous men to whom it commeth according to the worke of the wicked: and there be wicked men to whom it commeth according to the worke of the iust: I thought also that this is vanitie.
世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人所遭遇的，反照惡人所行的；又有惡人所遭遇的，反照義人所行的。我說，這也是虛空。
15 And I praysed ioy: for there is no goodnesse to man vnder the sunne, saue to eate and to drinke and to reioyce: for this is adioyned to his labour, the dayes of his life that God hath giuen him vnder the sunne.
我就稱讚快樂，原來人在日光之下，莫強如吃喝快樂；因為他在日光之下，上帝賜他一生的年日，要從勞碌中，時常享受所得的。
16 When I applied mine heart to knowe wisedome, and to behold the busines that is done on earth, that neither day nor night the eyes of man take sleepe,
我專心求智慧，要看世上所做的事。（有晝夜不睡覺不合眼的。）
17 Then I behelde the whole worke of God, that man cannot finde out ye worke that is wrought vnder the sunne: for the which man laboureth to seeke it, and cannot finde it: yea, and though the wise man thinke to knowe it, he cannot finde it.
我就看明上帝一切的作為，知道人查不出日光之下所做的事；任憑他費多少力尋查，都查不出來，就是智慧人雖想知道，也是查不出來。
