傳道書 3
1 事事有時節，天下任何事皆有定時：
To all things there is an appointed time, and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen.
2 生有時，死有時，栽種有時，拔除栽種的亦有時；
A time to bee borne, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to plucke vp that which is planted.
3 殺戮有時，治療有時，拆毀有時，建築有時；
A time to slay, and a time to heale: a time to breake downe, and a time to builde.
4 哭有時，笑有時，哀悼有時，舞蹈有時；
A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, 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: a time to embrace, and a time to be farre from embracing.
6 尋找有時，遺失有時；保存有時，捨棄有時；
A time to seeke, and a time to lose: a time to keepe, and a time to cast away.
7 撕裂有時，縫綴有時；緘默有時，言談有時，
A time to rent, and a time to sowe: a time to keepe silence, and a time to speake.
8 愛慕有時，憎恨有時；作戰有時，和睦有時。
A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, and a time of peace.
9 工作的人，從勞苦中得了什麼利益﹖
What profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?
10 我觀察了天主交予人類所應從事的事務，得知：
I haue seene the trauaile that God hath giuen to ye sonnes of men to humble them thereby.
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 hath made euery thing beautifull in his time: also he hath set the worlde in their heart, yet can not man finde out the worke that God hath wrought from the beginning euen to the 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 good in them, but to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.
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 euery man eateth and drinketh, and seeth the commoditie of all his labour. 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 knowe that whatsoeuer God shall doe, it shalbe for euer: to it can no man adde, and from it can none diminish: for God hath done it, that they should feare before 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 is that that hath bene? that is nowe: and that that shalbe, hath now bene: for God requireth that which is past.
16 我在太陽下還看見：正義之處有不義，公平之處有不平。
And moreouer I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgement, where was wickednesse, and the place of iustice where was iniquitie.
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 thought in mine heart, God wil iudge the iust and the wicked: for time is there for euery purpose and for euery worke.
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 considered in mine heart the state of the children of men that God had purged them: yet to see to, they are in themselues as beastes.
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 condition of the children of men, and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition vnto them. As the one dyeth, so dyeth the other: for they haue all one breath, and there is no excellency of man aboue ye beast: for all is vanitie.
20 都同歸於一處；既都出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。
All goe to one place, and all was of the dust, and all shall returne to the 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 knoweth whether the spirit of man ascend vpward, and the spirit of the beast descend downeward to 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﹖
Therefore I see that there is nothing better then that a man shoulde reioyce in his affaires, because that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see what shalbe after him?
