傳道書 3
1 凡事都有定期， 天下萬務都有定時。
Alle thingis han tyme, and alle thingis vndur sunne passen bi her spaces.
2 生有時，死有時； 栽種有時，拔出所栽種的也有時；
Tyme of birthe, and time of diyng; tyme to plaunte, and tyme to drawe vp that that is plauntid.
3 殺戮有時，醫治有時； 拆毀有時，建造有時；
Tyme to sle, and tyme to make hool; tyme to distrie, and tyme to bilde.
4 哭有時，笑有時； 哀慟有時，跳舞有時；
Tyme to wepe, and tyme to leiye; tyme to biweile, and tyme to daunse.
5 拋擲石頭有時，堆聚石頭有時； 懷抱有時，不懷抱有時；
Tyme to scatere stoonys, and tyme to gadere togidere; tyme to colle, and tyme to be fer fro collyngis.
6 尋找有時，失落有時； 保守有時，捨棄有時；
Tyme to wynne, and tyme to leese; tyme to kepe, and tyme to caste awei.
7 撕裂有時，縫補有時； 靜默有時，言語有時；
Tyme to kitte, and tyme to sewe togidere; tyme to be stille, and tyme to speke.
8 喜愛有時，恨惡有時； 爭戰有時，和好有時。
Tyme of loue, and tyme of hatrede; tyme of batel, and tyme of pees.
9 這樣看來，做事的人在他的勞碌上有甚麼益處呢？
What hath a man more of his trauel?
10 我見上帝叫世人勞苦，使他們在其中受經練。
I siy the turment, which God yaf to the sones of men, that thei be occupied therynne.
11 上帝造萬物，各按其時成為美好，又將永生安置在世人心裏。然而上帝從始至終的作為，人不能參透。
God made alle thingis good in her tyme, and yaf the world to disputyng of hem, that a man fynde not the werk which God hath wrouyt fro the bigynnyng `til in to the ende.
12 我知道世人，莫強如終身喜樂行善；
And Y knew that no thing was betere `to a man, `no but to be glad, and to do good werkis in his lijf.
13 並且人人吃喝，在他一切勞碌中享福，這也是上帝的恩賜。
For whi ech man that etith and drinkith, and seeth good of his trauel; this is the yifte of God.
14 我知道上帝一切所做的都必永存；無所增添，無所減少。上帝這樣行，是要人在他面前存敬畏的心。
I haue lerned that alle werkis, whiche God made, lasten stidfastli `til in to with outen ende; we moun not adde ony thing to tho, nether take awei fro tho thingis, whiche God made, that he be dred.
15 現今的事早先就有了，將來的事早已也有了，並且上帝使已過的事重新再來。
That thing that is maad, dwellith perfitli; tho thingis that schulen come, weren bifore; and God restorith that, that is goon.
16 我又見日光之下，在審判之處有奸惡，在公義之處也有奸惡。
I siy vndur sunne vnfeithfulnesse in the place of doom; and wickidnesse in the place of riytfulnesse.
17 我心裏說，上帝必審判義人和惡人；因為在那裏，各樣事務，一切工作，都有定時。
And Y seide in myn herte, The Lord schal deme a iust man, and an vnfeithful man; and the tyme of ech thing schal be thanne.
18 我心裏說，這乃為世人的緣故，是上帝要試驗他們，使他們覺得自己不過像獸一樣。
I seide in myn herte of the sones of men, that God schulde preue hem, and schewe that thei ben lijk vnresonable beestis.
19 因為世人遭遇的，獸也遭遇，所遭遇的都是一樣：這個怎樣死，那個也怎樣死，氣息都是一樣。人不能強於獸，都是虛空。
Therfor oon is the perisching of man and of beestis, and euene condicioun is of euer eithir; as a man dieth, `so and tho beestis dien; alle beestis brethen in lijk maner, and a man hath no thing more than a beeste.
20 都歸一處，都是出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。
Alle thingis ben suget to vanyte, and alle thingis goen to o place; tho ben maad of erthe, and tho turnen ayen togidere in to erthe.
21 誰知道人的靈是往上升，獸的魂是下入地呢？
Who knowith, if the spirit of the sones of Adam stieth vpward, and if the spirit of beestis goith dounward?
22 故此，我見人莫強如在他經營的事上喜樂，因為這是他的分。他身後的事誰能使他回來得見呢？
And Y perseyuede that no thing is betere, than that a man be glad in his werk, and that this be his part; for who schal brynge hym, that he knowe thingis that schulen come after hym?
