Ecclesiastes 3

1 For, every thing, there is a season, —and a time for every pursuit, under the heavens: —

凡事都有定期， 天下万务都有定时。

2 A time to be born, and a time to die, —A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;

生有时，死有时； 栽种有时，拔出所栽种的也有时；

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal, —A time to break down, and a time to build up;

杀戮有时，医治有时； 拆毁有时，建造有时；

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh, —A time to wail, and a time to dance for joy;

哭有时，笑有时； 哀恸有时，跳舞有时；

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to heap up stones, —A time to embrace, and a time to be far from loving embrace;

抛掷石头有时，堆聚石头有时； 怀抱有时，不怀抱有时；

6 A time to seek, and a time to give up as lost, —A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

寻找有时，失落有时； 保守有时，舍弃有时；

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew, —A time to be silent, and a time to speak;

撕裂有时，缝补有时； 静默有时，言语有时；

8 A time to love and a time to hate, —A time of war, and a time of peace.

喜爱有时，恨恶有时； 争战有时，和好有时。

9 What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled?

这样看来，做事的人在他的劳碌上有什么益处呢？

10 I looked at the employment which God hath given to the sons of men, to work therein:

我见 神叫世人劳苦，使他们在其中受经练。

11 Everything, hath he made beautiful in its own time, —also, intelligence, hath he put in their heart, without which men could not find out the work which God hath wrought, from the beginning even unto the end.

神造万物，各按其时成为美好，又将永生安置在世人心里。然而 神从始至终的作为，人不能参透。

12 I know that there is no blessedness in them, —save to be glad, and to do well with one’s life.

我知道世人，莫强如终身喜乐行善；

13 Though indeed, that any man should eat and drink, and see blessedness, in all his toil, it is, the gift of God.

并且人人吃喝，在他一切劳碌中享福，这也是 神的恩赐。

14 I know, that, whatsoever God doeth, the same, shall be age-abiding, unto it, there is nothing to add, and, from it, there is nothing to take away, —and, God, hath done it, that men should stand in awe before him.

我知道 神一切所做的都必永存；无所增添，无所减少。 神这样行，是要人在他面前存敬畏的心。

15 That which was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been, —but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased away.

现今的事早先就有了，将来的事早已也有了，并且 神使已过的事重新再来。

16 Then, again, I saw under the sun, the place of justice, that there was lawlessness, and, the place of righteousness, that there was lawlessness.

我又见日光之下，在审判之处有奸恶，在公义之处也有奸恶。

17 Said, I, in my heart, Both the righteous and the lawless, will God judge, —for [there will be] a time for every pursuit, and concerning every work—there.

我心里说， 神必审判义人和恶人；因为在那里，各样事务，一切工作，都有定时。

18 Said, I, in my heart, as concerning the sons of men, That God was minded to prove them, —and that they might see, that they were beasts, of themselves.

我心里说，这乃为世人的缘故，是 神要试验他们，使他们觉得自己不过像兽一样。

19 For, as regardeth the destiny of the sons of men and the destiny of beasts, one fate, have they, as dieth the one, so, dieth the other, and, one spirit, have they all, —and, the pre-eminence of man over beast, is nothing, for, all, were vanity:

因为世人遭遇的，兽也遭遇，所遭遇的都是一样：这个怎样死，那个也怎样死，气息都是一样。人不能强于兽，都是虚空。

20 all, go unto one place, —all, came from the dust, and all, return to the dust.

都归一处，都是出于尘土，也都归于尘土。

21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of men, whether it, ascendeth, above, —or the spirit of the beast, whether it, descendeth, below, to the earth?

谁知道人的灵是往上升，兽的魂是下入地呢？

22 So I saw, that there was nothing better than that a man should be glad in his works, for, that, is his portion, —for who can bring him in, to look upon that which shall be after him?

故此，我见人莫强如在他经营的事上喜乐，因为这是他的分。他身后的事谁能使他回来得见呢？