< 傳道書 1 >

1 達味之子耶路撒冷的君王「訓道者」的語錄:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 虛而又虛,訓道者說:虛而又虛,萬事皆虛。
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.
3 人在太陽下辛勤勞作,為人究有何益﹖
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 一代過去,一代又來,大地仍然常在。
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 太陽升起,太陽落下,匆匆趕回原處,從新再升。
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 風吹向南,又轉向北,旋轉不息,循環周行。
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7 江河流入大海,大海總不滿溢;江河仍向所往之處,川流不息。
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 萬事皆辛勞,無人能盡言:眼看,看不夠;耳聽,聽不飽。
All things [are] full of labour; man cannot utter [it: ] the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 往昔所有的,將來會再有;昔日所行的,將來會再行;太陽之下決無新事。
The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.
10 若有人指著某事說:「看,這是新事。」豈不知在我們以前早就有過。
Is there [any] thing whereof it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 只是對往者,沒有人去追憶;同樣,對來者,也不會為後輩所記念。
[There is] no remembrance of former [things; ] neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.
12 我訓道者,曾在耶路撒冷作過以色列的君王。
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 我曾專心用智慧考查研究過天下所發生的一切;--這實在是天主賜與人類的一項艱辛的工作。
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 我觀察了在太陽下所發生的一切:看,都是空虛,都是追風。
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 彎曲的,不能使之正直,虧缺的,實在不可勝數。
[That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 我心裏自語說:「看,我獲得了又大又多的智慧,勝過了所有在我以前住在耶路撒冷的人,我的心獲得了許多智慧和學問。」
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 我再專心研究智慧和學問,愚昧和狂妄,我纔發覺:連這項工作也是追風。
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 因為,智慧愈多,煩惱愈多;學問越廣,憂慮越深。
For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

< 傳道書 1 >