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。

Remember nowe thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, whiles the euill daies come not, nor the yeeres approche, wherein thou shalt say, I haue 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，

Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:

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；

When the keepers of ye house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow them selues, and the grinders shall cease, because they are few, and they waxe darke that looke out by ye windowes:

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 the doores shall be shut without by the base sound of the grinding, and he shall rise vp at the voice of the birde: and all the daughters of singing shall be abased.

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。

Also they shalbe afraide of the hie thing, and feare shalbe in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grassehopper shall be a burden, and concupiscence shall be driuen away: for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners goe about in the streete.

6 銀鍊折斷，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁損壞，水輪在井口破爛，

Whiles the siluer coarde is not lengthened, nor the golden ewer broken, nor the pitcher broken at the well, nor the wheele broken at the cisterne:

7 塵土仍歸於地，靈仍歸於賜靈的上帝。

And dust returne to the earth as it was, and the spirit returne to God that gaue it.

8 傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。」

Vanitie of vanities, saieth the Preacher, all is vanitie.

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 the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to heare, and searched foorth, and prepared many 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 to finde out pleasant wordes, and an vpright writing, euen the wordes of trueth.

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 wordes of the wise are like goads, and like nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are giuen by one pastour.

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 of other things beside these, my sone, take thou heede: for there is none ende in making many bookes, and much reading is a wearines 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。

Let vs heare the end of all: feare God and keepe his commandements: for this is the whole duetie of 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 euery worke vnto iudgement, with euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.