< 傳道書 7 >

1 良好的聲譽勝於名貴的香液;死日勝於生日。
A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.
2 往居喪的家去,勝於往宴會的家去,因為喪事是人人的結局,活人應將此事放在心上。
[It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
3 悲哀勝於歡笑,因為愁容能使心靈舒暢。
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
4 智者的心是在居喪的家中,愚人的心是在歡笑的家中。
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 聽智者斥責,勝過聽愚人歌唱。
[It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 愚人的歡笑,就像斧底荊棘的爆炸聲,但這也是空虛。
As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.
7 實在,壓榨使智者昏愚,賄賂能敗壞人心。
for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
8 事情的結局勝過事情的開端;居心寬容,勝過存心傲慢。
The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.
9 你心裏不要輕易動怒,因為憤怒只停留在愚人胸中。
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
10 你不要問:「為什麼昔日勝於今日﹖」因為這樣的詰問,不是出於智慧。
Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
11 智慧與家產都好,對看見天日的人都有益,
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.
12 因為受智慧的蔭庇與受金錢的蔭庇無異;但認識智慧的好處,是在於智慧賦與有智慧者生命。
For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
13 你應觀察天主的作為:他所彎曲的,誰能使之正直﹖
Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
14 幸福之日,你應歡樂,不幸之日,你應思慮:幸與不幸,都是天主所為;其目的是叫人不能察覺自己將來的事。
In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.
15 在我虛度的歲月內,我見了許多事:義人在正義中夭亡,惡人在邪惡中反而長壽。
I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
16 不要過於正義,也不要自作聰明,免得自趨滅亡。
Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest thou be confounded.
17 不要作惡無度,也不要糊塗太甚,免得你死非其時。
Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest thou shouldest die before thy time.
18 你的手最好把持這個,也不要放棄那個,因為敬畏天主的人,二者兼顧並重。
It is well for thee to hold fast by this; also by this defile not thine hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].
19 智慧使智者的權勢,勝過本城十個有權勢的人。
Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 世上沒有一個只行善,而不犯罪的義人。
For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin
21 你不要傾心去聽人說的一切閒話,免得你聽到你的僕人詛咒你;
Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
22 因為你心裏知道,你許多次也詛咒過別人。
For many times he shall trespass against thee, and repeatedly shall he afflict thine heart; for thus also hast thou cursed others.
23 這一切我都用智慧追究過;我宣稱我將成個智者,然而智慧仍離我很遠。
All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 所有的事,既深遠,又玄奧,誰能窮究﹖
[That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?
25 我又專心致力於認識、考察事物,尋求智慧和事理,得知邪惡就是昏愚,昏愚就是狂妄。
I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.
26 我發覺女人比死亡還苦,她一身是羅網:她的心是陷阱,她的手是鎖鏈;凡博天主歡心的,必逃避她;但罪人卻被她纏住。
And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 訓道者說:看,這是我所發現的,一一加以比較,好探知事物的原理,
Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,
28 對此我的心還在追求,但尚未找到:在一千男人中,我發現了一個;在所有的女人中,卻沒有發現一個。
which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.
29 我發現的只有這一件事:天主造人原很正直,但人卻發明了許多詭計。
But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.

< 傳道書 7 >