传道书 1
1 在耶路撒冷作王、大卫的儿子、传道者的言语。
Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 传道者说：虚空的虚空， 虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
3 人一切的劳碌， 就是他在日光之下的劳碌，有什么益处呢？
What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
4 一代过去，一代又来， 地却永远长存。
A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
5 日头出来，日头落下， 急归所出之地。
Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
6 风往南刮，又向北转， 不住地旋转，而且返回转行原道。
Going to the south, and turning around to the north, turning around, turning around, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind has returned.
7 江河都往海里流，海却不满； 江河从何处流，仍归还何处。
All the streams are going to the sea, and the sea is not full; to a place to where the streams are going, there they are turning back to go.
8 万事令人厌烦， 人不能说尽。 眼看，看不饱； 耳听，听不足。
All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear filled from hearing.
9 已有的事后必再有； 已行的事后必再行。 日光之下并无新事。
What [is] that which has been? It [is] that which is, and what [is] that which has been done? It [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
10 岂有一件事人能指着说这是新的？ 哪知，在我们以前的世代早已有了。
There is a thing of which [one] says: “See this, it [is] new!” Already it has been in the ages that were before us!
11 已过的世代，无人记念； 将来的世代，后来的人也不记念。
There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
12 我传道者在耶路撒冷作过以色列的王。
I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 我专心用智慧寻求、查究天下所做的一切事，乃知 神叫世人所经练的是极重的劳苦。
And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God has given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
14 我见日光之下所做的一切事，都是虚空，都是捕风。
I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit!
15 弯曲的，不能变直； 缺少的，不能足数。
A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
16 我心里议论说：我得了大智慧，胜过我以前在耶路撒冷的众人，而且我心中多经历智慧和知识的事。
I spoke with my heart, saying, “I, behold, have magnified and added wisdom above everyone who has been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart has seen wisdom and knowledge abundantly.
17 我又专心察明智慧、狂妄，和愚昧，乃知这也是捕风。
And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] distress of spirit;
18 因为多有智慧，就多有愁烦； 加增知识的，就加增忧伤。
for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
