傳道書 3
1 事事有時節，天下任何事皆有定時：
To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
2 生有時，死有時，栽種有時，拔除栽種的亦有時；
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 殺戮有時，治療有時，拆毀有時，建築有時；
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build,
4 哭有時，笑有時，哀悼有時，舞蹈有時；
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 拋石有時，堆石有時；擁抱有時，戒避擁抱亦有時；
a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 尋找有時，遺失有時；保存有時，捨棄有時；
a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,
7 撕裂有時，縫綴有時；緘默有時，言談有時，
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 愛慕有時，憎恨有時；作戰有時，和睦有時。
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
9 工作的人，從勞苦中得了什麼利益﹖
What does the worker gain from his toil?
10 我觀察了天主交予人類所應從事的事務，得知：
I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.
11 天主所行的一切事宜，都很適時，並賜給人認識時事的經歷，但人仍不能明瞭，天主自始至終所做的工作。
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.
12 於是我明瞭：人類的幸福，只有在此生歡樂享受；
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,
13 但人人有吃有喝，享受自己一切勞苦之所得，也是天主的恩賜。
and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.
14 我知道：凡天主所行的事，永恒不變，無一可增，無一可減。天主這樣作，是為叫人敬畏他。
I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him.
15 現今所有的，早已有過；將來所有有，先前已有過；因為天主必追尋已往的事。
What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.
16 我在太陽下還看見：正義之處有不義，公平之處有不平。
Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
17 我心裏想天主必要審判義人和惡人，因為各種事情和行為，在天主那裏都有其定時。
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”
18 我想，天主藉此是為使世人認清自己是誰，看清自己與走獸無異。
I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”
19 的確，世人的命運，同走獸的命運，都是一樣：前者怎樣死，後者也怎樣死；氣息都一樣，人並不優於走獸：因為都是虛無。
For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.
20 都同歸於一處；既都出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。
All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.
21 人的氣息是否向上高升，走獸的氣息是否下降地下，有誰知道﹖
Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?
22 因此，我看出：人最好還是享受自己勞苦之所得，因為這是他的命運；有誰能領他去看自己身後的事呢﹖
I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?
