< 傳道書 2 >
1 我心裏說:「來吧,我以喜樂試試你,你好享福!」誰知,這也是虛空。
I said in my heart, 'Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it [is] vanity.
2 我指嬉笑說:「這是狂妄。」論喜樂說:「有何功效呢?」
Of laughter I said, 'Foolish!' and of mirth, 'What [is] this it is doing?'
3 我心裏察究,如何用酒使我肉體舒暢,我心卻仍以智慧引導我;又如何持住愚昧,等我看明世人,在天下一生當行何事為美。
I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where [is] this — the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.
I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.
I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.
I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.
7 我買了僕婢,也有生在家中的僕婢;又有許多牛群羊群,勝過以前在耶路撒冷眾人所有的。
I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance — herd and flock — above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.
8 我又為自己積蓄金銀和君王的財寶,並各省的財寶;又得唱歌的男女和世人所喜愛的物,並許多的妃嬪。
I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man — a wife and wives.
9 這樣,我就日見昌盛,勝過以前在耶路撒冷的眾人。我的智慧仍然存留。
And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
10 凡我眼所求的,我沒有留下不給它的;我心所樂的,我沒有禁止不享受的;因我的心為我一切所勞碌的快樂,這就是我從勞碌中所得的分。
And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,
11 後來,我察看我手所經營的一切事和我勞碌所成的功。誰知都是虛空,都是捕風;在日光之下毫無益處。
and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!
12 我轉念觀看智慧、狂妄,和愚昧。在王以後而來的人還能做甚麼呢?也不過行早先所行的就是了。
And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who cometh after the king? that which [is] already — they have done it!
And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.
14 智慧人的眼目光明,愚昧人在黑暗裏行。我卻看明有一件事,這兩等人都必遇見。
The wise! — his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;
15 我就心裏說:「愚昧人所遇見的,我也必遇見,我為何更有智慧呢?」我心裏說,這也是虛空。
and I said in my heart, 'As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this [is] vanity:
16 智慧人和愚昧人一樣,永遠無人記念,因為日後都被忘記;可歎智慧人死亡,與愚昧人無異。
That there is no remembrance to the wise — with the fool — to the age, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!
17 我所以恨惡生命;因為在日光之下所行的事我都以為煩惱,都是虛空,都是捕風。
And I have hated life, for sad to me [is] the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 我恨惡一切的勞碌,就是我在日光之下的勞碌,因為我得來的必留給我以後的人。
And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.
19 那人是智慧是愚昧,誰能知道?他竟要管理我勞碌所得的,就是我在日光之下用智慧所得的。這也是虛空。
And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also [is] vanity.
20 故此,我轉想我在日光之下所勞碌的一切工作,心便絕望。
And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.
21 因為有人用智慧、知識、靈巧所勞碌得來的,卻要留給未曾勞碌的人為分。這也是虛空,也是大患。
For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it — his portion! Even this [is] vanity and a great evil.
22 人在日光之下勞碌累心,在他一切的勞碌上得着甚麼呢?
For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?
23 因為他日日憂慮,他的勞苦成為愁煩,連夜間心也不安。這也是虛空。
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also [is] vanity.
24 人莫強如吃喝,且在勞碌中享福,我看這也是出於上帝的手。
There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God.
For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I?
26 上帝喜悅誰,就給誰智慧、知識,和喜樂;惟有罪人,上帝使他勞苦,叫他將所收聚的、所堆積的歸給上帝所喜悅的人。這也是虛空,也是捕風。
For to a man who [is] good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.