传道书 12

1 你趁着年幼、衰败的日子尚未来到，就是你所说，我毫无喜乐的那些年日未曾临近之先，当记念造你的主。

Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: 'I have no pleasure in them';

2 不要等到日头、光明、月亮、星宿变为黑暗，雨后云彩反回，

Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

3 看守房屋的发颤，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，从窗户往外看的都昏暗；

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out shall be darkened in the windows,

4 街门关闭，推磨的响声微小，雀鸟一叫，人就起来，唱歌的女子也都衰微。

And the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low; and one shall start up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

5 人怕高处，路上有惊慌，杏树开花，蚱蜢成为重担，人所愿的也都废掉；因为人归他永远的家，吊丧的在街上往来。

Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall drag itself along, and the caperberry shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets;

6 银链折断，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁损坏，水轮在井口破烂，

Before the silver cord is snapped asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit;

7 尘土仍归于地，灵仍归于赐灵的 神。

And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

8 传道者说：“虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。”

Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.

9 再者，传道者因有智慧，仍将知识教训众人；又默想，又考查，又陈说许多箴言。

And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10 传道者专心寻求可喜悦的言语，是凭正直写的诚实话。

Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.

11 智慧人的言语好像刺棍；会中之师的言语又像钉稳的钉子，都是一个牧者所赐的。

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd.

12 我儿，还有一层，你当受劝戒：著书多，没有穷尽；读书多，身体疲倦。

And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 这些事都已听见了，总意就是：敬畏 神，谨守他的诫命，这是人所当尽的本分。

The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.

14 因为人所做的事，连一切隐藏的事，无论是善是恶， 神都必审问。

For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.