傳道書 6

1 我看見在太陽下，另有一種不幸，重壓在人身上：

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:

2 有一人，天主賜他富裕、錢財、光榮；凡他心中所願意的，一件也不缺；但天主沒有讓他享用這一切，卻讓外人享用了：這也是空虛，是一件很悲慘的事。

a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

3 有一人生有百子，活了很大歲數，他年紀雖高，卻沒有隨心享受福樂，且未得安葬，照我看來，他還不如流產的胎兒。

If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

4 流產的胎兒徒然而來，悄然而去，他的名字也湮沒無聞；

for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;

5 他沒有見過天日，也沒有任何知覺，但他總比那人更享安寧。

moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:

6 那人即便活了兩千歲，如未享受福樂，他們二人豈不是同歸一處﹖

yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place?

7 人的一切勞碌都是為了口腹，但他的慾望卻總不知滿足。

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

8 智者較愚者究有什麼利益﹖知道如何與人往來的窮人，能得什麼好處﹖

For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?

9 眼看見過的總勝過心所想望的：這也是空虛，也是追風。

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

10 已往所有的，都已有名可稱；人為何物，都已知道；人決不能與強於自己的抗辯。

Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.

11 說話多，必多空談：這對人能有什麼益處﹖

Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

12 在空虛，消逝如影的人生少數歲月內，有誰知道什麼事對人有益﹖又有誰能指給人指示，他身後在太陽下要發生什麼事﹖

For who knoweth what is good for man in [his] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?