< 传道书 2 >
1 我心里说:“来吧,我以喜乐试试你,你好享福!”谁知,这也是虚空。
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 我指嬉笑说:“这是狂妄。”论喜乐说:“有何功效呢?”
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 我心里察究,如何用酒使我肉体舒畅,我心却仍以智慧引导我;又如何持住愚昧,等我看明世人,在天下一生当行何事为美。
I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 我买了仆婢,也有生在家中的仆婢;又有许多牛群羊群,胜过以前在耶路撒冷众人所有的。
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 我又为自己积蓄金银和君王的财宝,并各省的财宝;又得唱歌的男女和世人所喜爱的物,并许多的妃嫔。
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 这样,我就日见昌盛,胜过以前在耶路撒冷的众人。我的智慧仍然存留。
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 凡我眼所求的,我没有留下不给它的;我心所乐的,我没有禁止不享受的;因我的心为我一切所劳碌的快乐,这就是我从劳碌中所得的分。
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 后来,我察看我手所经营的一切事和我劳碌所成的功。谁知都是虚空,都是捕风;在日光之下毫无益处。
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 我转念观看智慧、狂妄,和愚昧。在王以后而来的人还能做什么呢?也不过行早先所行的就是了。
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 智慧人的眼目光明,愚昧人在黑暗里行。我却看明有一件事,这两等人都必遇见。
The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 我就心里说:“愚昧人所遇见的,我也必遇见,我为何更有智慧呢?”我心里说,这也是虚空。
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 智慧人和愚昧人一样,永远无人记念,因为日后都被忘记;可叹智慧人死亡,与愚昧人无异。
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
17 我所以恨恶生命;因为在日光之下所行的事我都以为烦恼,都是虚空,都是捕风。
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 我恨恶一切的劳碌,就是我在日光之下的劳碌,因为我得来的必留给我以后的人。
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 那人是智慧是愚昧,谁能知道?他竟要管理我劳碌所得的,就是我在日光之下用智慧所得的。这也是虚空。
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 故此,我转想我在日光之下所劳碌的一切工作,心便绝望。
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 因为有人用智慧、知识、灵巧所劳碌得来的,却要留给未曾劳碌的人为分。这也是虚空,也是大患。
For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 人在日光之下劳碌累心,在他一切的劳碌上得着什么呢?
For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 因为他日日忧虑,他的劳苦成为愁烦,连夜间心也不安。这也是虚空。
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 人莫强如吃喝,且在劳碌中享福,我看这也是出于 神的手。
There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of Elohim.
For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
26 神喜悦谁,就给谁智慧、知识,和喜乐;惟有罪人, 神使他劳苦,叫他将所收聚的、所堆积的归给 神所喜悦的人。这也是虚空,也是捕风。
For Elohim giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before Elohim. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.