传道书 4
1 我又转念，见日光之下所行的一切欺压。看哪，受欺压的流泪，且无人安慰；欺压他们的有势力，也无人安慰他们。
Then I turned to consider all the ways people oppress others here on earth. Look at the tears of the oppressed—there's no one to comfort them! Powerful people oppress them, and there's no one to comfort them!
2 因此，我赞叹那早已死的死人，胜过那还活着的活人。
I congratulated those who were already dead, for the dead are better off than those who are still alive and being oppressed.
3 并且我以为那未曾生的，就是未见过日光之下恶事的，比这两等人更强。
But best of all are those who have never existed—they haven't seen the evil things people do to each other here on earth.
4 我又见人为一切的劳碌和各样灵巧的工作就被邻舍嫉妒。这也是虚空，也是捕风。
I observed that every skill in work comes from competition with others. Once again this is hard to understand, like trying to hold on to the elusive wind.
5 愚昧人抱着手，吃自己的肉。
Fools fold their arms and do nothing—so in the end they're all used up.
6 满了一把，得享安静，强如满了两把，劳碌捕风。
It's better to earn a little without stress than a lot with too much stress and chasing after the wind.
7 我又转念，见日光之下有一件虚空的事：
Then I turned to consider something else here on earth that is also frustratingly hard to understand.
8 有人孤单无二，无子无兄，竟劳碌不息，眼目也不以钱财为足。他说：“我劳劳碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福乐，到底是为谁呢？”这也是虚空，是极重的劳苦。
What about someone who has no family to help him, no brother or son, who works all the time, but isn't satisfied with the money he makes. “Who am I working for?” he asks himself. “Why am I preventing myself from enjoying life?” Such a situation is hard to explain—it's an evil business!
9 两个人总比一个人好，因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效。
Two are better than one, for they can help each other in their work.
10 若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来，这人就有祸了。
If one of them falls down, the other can help them up, but how sad it is for someone who falls down and doesn't have anyone to help them up.
11 再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人独睡怎能暖和呢？
In the same way, if two people lie down together, they keep each other warm, but you can't keep yourself warm if you're alone.
12 有人攻胜孤身一人，若有二人便能敌挡他；三股合成的绳子不容易折断。
Someone fighting against one other person may win, but not if they are fighting against two. A cord made of three strands can't be torn apart quickly.
13 贫穷而有智慧的少年人胜过年老不肯纳谏的愚昧王。
A poor young person who's wise is better than an old and foolish king who no longer accepts advice.
14 这人是从监牢中出来作王，在他国中，生来原是贫穷的。
He may even come out of prison to reign over his kingdom, even though he was born poor.
15 我见日光之下一切行动的活人都随从那第二位，就是起来代替老王的少年人。
I observed everyone here on earth following the youth who takes his place.
16 他所治理的众人就是他的百姓，多得无数；在他后来的人尚且不喜悦他。这真是虚空，也是捕风。
He is surrounded by crowds of supporters, but the next generation isn't happy with him. This also illustrates the passing nature of life whose meaning is elusive, like pursuing the wind for understanding.
