傳道書 12

1 你趁着年幼、衰敗的日子尚未來到，就是你所說，我毫無喜樂的那些年日未曾臨近之先，當記念造你的主。

And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake [you] in which you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.

2 不要等到日頭、光明、月亮、星宿變為黑暗，雨後雲彩反回，

While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain:

3 看守房屋的發顫，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，從窗戶往外看的都昏暗；

in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding [women] cease because they have become few, and the [women] looking out at the windows be dark;

4 街門關閉，推磨的響聲微小，雀鳥一叫，人就起來，唱歌的女子也都衰微。

and they shall shut the doors in the marketplace, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds [at the mill]; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low;

5 人怕高處，路上有驚慌，杏樹開花，蚱蜢成為重擔，人所願的也都廢掉；因為人歸他永遠的家，弔喪的在街上往來。

and they shall look up, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market:

6 銀鍊折斷，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁損壞，水輪在井口破爛，

before the silver cord be [let go], or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to the cistern;

7 塵土仍歸於地，靈仍歸於賜靈的上帝。

[before] the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

8 傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。」

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.

9 再者，傳道者因有智慧，仍將知識教訓眾人；又默想，又考查，又陳說許多箴言。

And because the Preacher was wise above [others, so it was] that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.

10 傳道者專心尋求可喜悅的言語，是憑正直寫的誠實話。

The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, [even] words of truth.

11 智慧人的言語好像刺棍；會中之師的言語又像釘穩的釘子，都是一個牧者所賜的。

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.

12 我兒，還有一層，你當受勸戒：著書多，沒有窮盡；讀書多，身體疲倦。

And moreover, my son, guard yourself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 這些事都已聽見了，總意就是：敬畏上帝，謹守他的誡命，這是人所當盡的本分。

Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man.

14 因為人所做的事，連一切隱藏的事，無論是善是惡，上帝都必審問。

For God will bring every work into judgement, with everything that has been overlooked, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.