< 傳道書 6 >
There is an euill, which I sawe vnder the sunne, and it is much among 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 hath giuen riches and treasures and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth: but God giueth him not power to eate thereof, but a strange man shall eate it vp: this is vanitie, and this is an euill sicknesse.
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 an hundreth children and liue many yeeres, and the dayes of his yeeres be multiplied, and his soule be not satisfied with good things, and he be not buried, I say that an vntimely fruite is better then 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 he commeth into vanitie and goeth into darkenesse: and his name shall be couered with darkenesse.
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。
Also he hath not seene ye sunne, nor knowen it: therefore this hath more rest then 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﹖
And if he had liued a thousand yeeres twise tolde, and had seene no good, shall not all goe 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 labour of man is for his mouth: yet the soule 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 hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?
9 眼看見過的總勝過心所想望的:這也是空虛,也是追風。
The sight of ye eye is better then to walke in ye lustes: this also is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
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。
What is that that hath bene? the name thereof is nowe named: and it is knowen that it is man: and he cannot striue with him that is stronger then he.
Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?
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 the life and in the nomber of the dayes of the life of his vanitie, seeing he maketh them as a shadowe? For who can shewe vnto man what shall be after him vnder the sunne?