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。
Better a name, than precious ointment, —and the day of death, than the day of one’s 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。
Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take it to his heart.
3 憂愁強如喜笑； 因為面帶愁容，終必使心喜樂。
Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
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 in the house of mourning, but, the heart of dullards, in the house of mirth.
5 聽智慧人的責備， 強如聽愚昧人的歌唱。
Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
6 愚昧人的笑聲， 好像鍋下燒荊棘的爆聲； 這也是虛空。
For, as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so, is the laughter of the dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
7 勒索使智慧人變為愚妄； 賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。
For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
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。
Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
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 rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
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。
Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
11 智慧和產業並好， 而且見天日的人得智慧更為有益。
Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as 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, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
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 work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
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 the day of prosperity, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.
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。
Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.
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 become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 不要行惡過分，也不要為人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？
Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst thou die, before thy 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 well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.
19 智慧使有智慧的人比城中十個官長更有能力。
Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
20 時常行善而不犯罪的義人，世上實在沒有。
For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
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。
Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
22 因為你心裏知道，自己也曾屢次咒詛別人。
For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled 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。
All this, have I proved by wisdom, —I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.
24 萬事之理，離我甚遠，而且最深，誰能測透呢？
Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, deep, who can find it out?
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。
Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly to be madness.
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。
I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured 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。
See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
what my soul still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I 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。
Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
