传道书 8
1 谁如智慧人呢？ 谁知道事情的解释呢？ 人的智慧使他的脸发光， 并使他脸上的暴气改变。
Who knows the wise? and who knows the interpretation of a saying? A man's wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.
2 我劝你遵守王的命令；既指 神起誓，理当如此。
Observe the commandment of the king, and [that] because of the word of the oath of God.
3 不要急躁离开王的面前，不要固执行恶，因为他凡事都随自己的心意而行。
Be not hasty; you shall go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatever he shall please,
4 王的话本有权力，谁敢问他说“你做什么”呢？
even as a king having power: and who will say to him, What do you?
5 凡遵守命令的，必不经历祸患；智慧人的心能辨明时候和定理。
He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgment.
6 各样事务成就都有时候和定理，因为人的苦难重压在他身上。
For to every thing there is time and judgment; for the knowledge of a man is great to him.
7 他不知道将来的事，因为将来如何，谁能告诉他呢？
For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?
8 无人有权力掌管生命，将生命留住；也无人有权力掌管死期；这场争战，无人能免；邪恶也不能救那好行邪恶的人。
There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of the battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.
9 这一切我都见过，也专心查考日光之下所做的一切事。有时这人管辖那人，令人受害。
So I saw all this, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.
10 我见恶人埋葬，归入坟墓；又见行正直事的离开圣地，在城中被人忘记。这也是虚空。
And then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and [that] out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity.
11 因为断定罪名不立刻施刑，所以世人满心作恶。
Because there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined in them to do evil.
12 罪人虽然作恶百次，倒享长久的年日；然而我准知道，敬畏 神的，就是在他面前敬畏的人，终久必得福乐。
He that has sinned has done evil from that time, and long from beforehand: nevertheless I know, that it is well with them that fear God, that they may fear before him:
13 恶人却不得福乐，也不得长久的年日；这年日好像影儿，因他不敬畏 神。
but it shall not be well with the ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, [which are] as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears not before God.
14 世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人所遭遇的，反照恶人所行的；又有恶人所遭遇的，反照义人所行的。我说，这也是虚空。
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous persons to whom it happens according to the doing of the ungodly; and there are ungodly men, to whom it happens according to the doing of the just: I said, This is also vanity.
15 我就称赞快乐，原来人在日光之下，莫强如吃喝快乐；因为他在日光之下， 神赐他一生的年日，要从劳碌中，时常享受所得的。
Then I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry: and this shall attend him in his labor all the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun.
16 我专心求智慧，要看世上所做的事。（有昼夜不睡觉不合眼的。）
Whereupon I set my heart to know wisdom, and to perceive the trouble that was wrought upon the earth: for there is that neither by day nor night sees sleep with his eyes.
17 我就看明 神一切的作为，知道人查不出日光之下所做的事；任凭他费多少力寻查，都查不出来，就是智慧人虽想知道，也是查不出来。
And I saw all the works of God, that a man shall not be able to discover the work which is wrought under the sun; whatever things a man shall endeavor to seek, however a man may labor to seek it, yet he shall not find it; yes, how much soever a wise man may speak of knowing it, he shall not be able to find it: for I applied all this to my heart, and my heart has seen all this.
