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 that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:

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 wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger 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 doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he [is] the untimely birth.'

4 流產的胎兒徒然而來，悄然而去，他的名字也湮沒無聞；

For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,

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。

Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.

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 though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

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, and yet the soul 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 [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth 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 going of the soul. This also [is] vanity 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 which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

11 說話多，必多空談：這對人能有什麼益處﹖

For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to 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 a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?