傳道書 7
1 名譽強如美好的膏油；人死的日子勝過人生的日子。
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 往遭喪的家去， 強如往宴樂的家去； 因為死是眾人的結局， 活人也必將這事放在心上。
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 憂愁強如喜笑； 因為面帶愁容，終必使心喜樂。
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 智慧人的心在遭喪之家； 愚昧人的心在快樂之家。
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 聽智慧人的責備， 強如聽愚昧人的歌唱。
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 愚昧人的笑聲， 好像鍋下燒荊棘的爆聲； 這也是虛空。
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 勒索使智慧人變為愚妄； 賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 事情的終局強如事情的起頭； 存心忍耐的，勝過居心驕傲的。
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 你不要心裏急躁惱怒， 因為惱怒存在愚昧人的懷中。
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 不要說： 先前的日子強過如今的日子， 是甚麼緣故呢？ 你這樣問，不是出於智慧。
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 智慧和產業並好， 而且見天日的人得智慧更為有益。
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 因為智慧護庇人， 好像銀錢護庇人一樣。 惟獨智慧能保全智慧人的生命。 這就是知識的益處。
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 你要察看上帝的作為； 因上帝使為曲的，誰能變為直呢？
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 遇亨通的日子你當喜樂；遭患難的日子你當思想；因為上帝使這兩樣並列，為的是叫人查不出身後有甚麼事。
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 有義人行義，反致滅亡；有惡人行惡，倒享長壽。這都是我在虛度之日中所見過的。
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 不要行義過分，也不要過於自逞智慧，何必自取敗亡呢？
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 不要行惡過分，也不要為人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 你持守這個為美，那個也不要鬆手；因為敬畏上帝的人，必從這兩樣出來。
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 智慧使有智慧的人比城中十個官長更有能力。
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 時常行善而不犯罪的義人，世上實在沒有。
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 人所說的一切話，你不要放在心上，恐怕聽見你的僕人咒詛你。
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 因為你心裏知道，自己也曾屢次咒詛別人。
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 我曾用智慧試驗這一切事；我說，要得智慧，智慧卻離我遠。
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 萬事之理，離我甚遠，而且最深，誰能測透呢？
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 我轉念，一心要知道，要考察，要尋求智慧和萬事的理由；又要知道邪惡為愚昧，愚昧為狂妄。
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 我得知有等婦人比死還苦：她的心是網羅，手是鎖鍊。凡蒙上帝喜悅的人必能躲避她；有罪的人卻被她纏住了。
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 傳道者說：「看哪，一千男子中，我找到一個正直人，但眾女子中，沒有找到一個。」我將這事一一比較，要尋求其理，我心仍要尋找，卻未曾找到。
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 我所找到的只有一件，就是上帝造人原是正直，但他們尋出許多巧計。
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
