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 precious oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's 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 house of feasting; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
3 悲哀勝於歡笑，因為愁容能使心靈舒暢。
Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is 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 joy.
5 聽智者斥責，勝過聽愚人歌唱。
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should 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。
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.
7 實在，壓榨使智者昏愚，賄賂能敗壞人心。
For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
8 事情的結局勝過事情的開端；居心寬容，勝過存心傲慢。
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 你心裏不要輕易動怒，因為憤怒只停留在愚人胸中。
Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in 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。
Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
11 智慧與家產都好，對看見天日的人都有益，
Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those 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 under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
13 你應觀察天主的作為：他所彎曲的，誰能使之正直﹖
Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath 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。
On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure 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。
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long 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 righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 不要作惡無度，也不要糊塗太甚，免得你死非其時。
Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou 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 good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
19 智慧使智者的權勢，勝過本城十個有權勢的人。
Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
20 世上沒有一個只行善，而不犯罪的義人。
For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never 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 unto all the words that are spoken: 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 oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast 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 this have I proved by 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﹖
Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can 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。
Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
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 as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will 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, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
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。
What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
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。
Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
