传道书 3
1 凡事都有定期， 天下万务都有定时。
Alle thingis han tyme, and alle thingis vndur sunne passen bi her spaces.
2 生有时，死有时； 栽种有时，拔出所栽种的也有时；
Tyme of birthe, and time of diyng; tyme to plaunte, and tyme to drawe vp that that is plauntid.
3 杀戮有时，医治有时； 拆毁有时，建造有时；
Tyme to sle, and tyme to make hool; tyme to distrie, and tyme to bilde.
4 哭有时，笑有时； 哀恸有时，跳舞有时；
Tyme to wepe, and tyme to leiye; tyme to biweile, and tyme to daunse.
5 抛掷石头有时，堆聚石头有时； 怀抱有时，不怀抱有时；
Tyme to scatere stoonys, and tyme to gadere togidere; tyme to colle, and tyme to be fer fro collyngis.
6 寻找有时，失落有时； 保守有时，舍弃有时；
Tyme to wynne, and tyme to leese; tyme to kepe, and tyme to caste awei.
7 撕裂有时，缝补有时； 静默有时，言语有时；
Tyme to kitte, and tyme to sewe togidere; tyme to be stille, and tyme to speke.
8 喜爱有时，恨恶有时； 争战有时，和好有时。
Tyme of loue, and tyme of hatrede; tyme of batel, and tyme of pees.
9 这样看来，做事的人在他的劳碌上有什么益处呢？
What hath a man more of his trauel?
10 我见 神叫世人劳苦，使他们在其中受经练。
I siy the turment, which God yaf to the sones of men, that thei be occupied therynne.
11 神造万物，各按其时成为美好，又将永生安置在世人心里。然而 神从始至终的作为，人不能参透。
God made alle thingis good in her tyme, and yaf the world to disputyng of hem, that a man fynde not the werk which God hath wrouyt fro the bigynnyng `til in to the ende.
12 我知道世人，莫强如终身喜乐行善；
And Y knew that no thing was betere `to a man, `no but to be glad, and to do good werkis in his lijf.
13 并且人人吃喝，在他一切劳碌中享福，这也是 神的恩赐。
For whi ech man that etith and drinkith, and seeth good of his trauel; this is the yifte of God.
14 我知道 神一切所做的都必永存；无所增添，无所减少。 神这样行，是要人在他面前存敬畏的心。
I haue lerned that alle werkis, whiche God made, lasten stidfastli `til in to with outen ende; we moun not adde ony thing to tho, nether take awei fro tho thingis, whiche God made, that he be dred.
15 现今的事早先就有了，将来的事早已也有了，并且 神使已过的事重新再来。
That thing that is maad, dwellith perfitli; tho thingis that schulen come, weren bifore; and God restorith that, that is goon.
16 我又见日光之下，在审判之处有奸恶，在公义之处也有奸恶。
I siy vndur sunne vnfeithfulnesse in the place of doom; and wickidnesse in the place of riytfulnesse.
17 我心里说， 神必审判义人和恶人；因为在那里，各样事务，一切工作，都有定时。
And Y seide in myn herte, The Lord schal deme a iust man, and an vnfeithful man; and the tyme of ech thing schal be thanne.
18 我心里说，这乃为世人的缘故，是 神要试验他们，使他们觉得自己不过像兽一样。
I seide in myn herte of the sones of men, that God schulde preue hem, and schewe that thei ben lijk vnresonable beestis.
19 因为世人遭遇的，兽也遭遇，所遭遇的都是一样：这个怎样死，那个也怎样死，气息都是一样。人不能强于兽，都是虚空。
Therfor oon is the perisching of man and of beestis, and euene condicioun is of euer eithir; as a man dieth, `so and tho beestis dien; alle beestis brethen in lijk maner, and a man hath no thing more than a beeste.
20 都归一处，都是出于尘土，也都归于尘土。
Alle thingis ben suget to vanyte, and alle thingis goen to o place; tho ben maad of erthe, and tho turnen ayen togidere in to erthe.
21 谁知道人的灵是往上升，兽的魂是下入地呢？
Who knowith, if the spirit of the sones of Adam stieth vpward, and if the spirit of beestis goith dounward?
22 故此，我见人莫强如在他经营的事上喜乐，因为这是他的分。他身后的事谁能使他回来得见呢？
And Y perseyuede that no thing is betere, than that a man be glad in his werk, and that this be his part; for who schal brynge hym, that he knowe thingis that schulen come after hym?
