傳道書 6

1 我見日光之下有一宗禍患重壓在人身上，

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:

2 就是人蒙上帝賜他資財、豐富、尊榮，以致他心裏所願的一樣都不缺，只是上帝使他不能吃用，反有外人來吃用。這是虛空，也是禍患。

a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

3 人若生一百個兒子，活許多歲數，以致他的年日甚多，心裏卻不得滿享福樂，又不得埋葬；據我說，那不到期而落的胎比他倒好。

If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he;

4 因為虛虛而來，暗暗而去，名字被黑暗遮蔽，

for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

5 並且沒有見過天日，也毫無知覺；這胎，比那人倒享安息。

Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.

6 那人雖然活千年，再活千年，卻不享福，眾人豈不都歸一個地方去嗎？

Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?

7 人的勞碌都為口腹，心裏卻不知足。

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

8 這樣看來，智慧人比愚昧人有甚麼長處呢？窮人在眾人面前知道如何行，有甚麼長處呢？

For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

9 眼睛所看的比心裏妄想的倒好。這也是虛空，也是捕風。

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

10 先前所有的，早已起了名，並知道何為人，他也不能與那比自己力大的相爭。

Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.

11 加增虛浮的事既多，這與人有甚麼益處呢？

For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

12 人一生虛度的日子，就如影兒經過，誰知道甚麼與他有益呢？誰能告訴他身後在日光之下有甚麼事呢？

For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?