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 that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:

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 giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth 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 doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he [is] the untimely birth.'

4 因為虛虛而來，暗暗而去，名字被黑暗遮蔽，

For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,

5 並且沒有見過天日，也毫無知覺；這胎，比那人倒享安息。

Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.

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？

And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

7 人的勞碌都為口腹，心裏卻不知足。

All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the soul 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 [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth 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 going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

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。

What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

11 加增虛浮的事既多，這與人有甚麼益處呢？

For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to 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 knoweth what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?