傳道書 8
1 誰如智慧人呢？ 誰知道事情的解釋呢？ 人的智慧使他的臉發光， 並使他臉上的暴氣改變。
Who is like the wise man, and who knoweth the explanation of a thing? A man's wisdom brighteneth his countenance, and the harshness of his face is changed.
2 我勸你遵守王的命令；既指上帝起誓，理當如此。
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that on account of the oath of God.
3 不要急躁離開王的面前，不要固執行惡，因為他凡事都隨自己的心意而行。
Be not in haste to depart from his presence; persist not in an evil thing; for whatever pleaseth him, that he doeth.
4 王的話本有權力，誰敢問他說「你做甚麼」呢？
For the word of the king is powerful; and who can say to him, “What doest thou?”
5 凡遵守命令的，必不經歷禍患；智慧人的心能辨明時候和定理。
He that keepeth the commandment shall experience no evil; and the heart of the wise man hath regard to time and judgment.
6 各樣事務成就都有時候和定理，因為人的苦難重壓在他身上。
For to every thing there is a time and judgment. For the misery of man is great upon him.
7 他不知道將來的事，因為將來如何，誰能告訴他呢？
For no one knoweth what shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
8 無人有權力掌管生命，將生命留住；也無人有權力掌管死期；這場爭戰，無人能免；邪惡也不能救那好行邪惡的人。
No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no man hath power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; and wickedness shall not deliver those that are guilty of it.
9 這一切我都見過，也專心查考日光之下所做的一切事。有時這人管轄那人，令人受害。
All this have I seen, and I have given heed to all things that are done under the sun. There is a time when man ruleth over man to his hurt.
10 我見惡人埋葬，歸入墳墓；又見行正直事的離開聖地，在城中被人忘記。這也是虛空。
And so I saw the wicked buried, while the righteous came and went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.
11 因為斷定罪名不立刻施刑，所以世人滿心作惡。
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore doth the heart of the sons of men become bold within them to do evil.
12 罪人雖然作惡百次，倒享長久的年日；然而我準知道，敬畏上帝的，就是在他面前敬畏的人，終久必得福樂。
But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and have his days prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him.
13 惡人卻不得福樂，也不得長久的年日；這年日好像影兒，因他不敬畏上帝。
But it shall not be well with the wicked: he shall be like a shadow, and shall not prolong his days, because he feareth not before God.
14 世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人所遭遇的，反照惡人所行的；又有惡人所遭遇的，反照義人所行的。我說，這也是虛空。
There is a vanity which taketh place upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked, and that there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said, “This also is vanity!”
15 我就稱讚快樂，原來人在日光之下，莫強如吃喝快樂；因為他在日光之下，上帝賜他一生的年日，要從勞碌中，時常享受所得的。
Then I commended joy; because nothing is good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink and to be joyful; for it is this that abideth with him for his labor during the days of his life which God giveth him under the sun.
16 我專心求智慧，要看世上所做的事。（有晝夜不睡覺不合眼的。）
When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth, —that one seeth no sleep with his eyes by day or by night, —
17 我就看明上帝一切的作為，知道人查不出日光之下所做的事；任憑他費多少力尋查，都查不出來，就是智慧人雖想知道，也是查不出來。
then I saw the whole work of God, that a man cannot comprehend that which is done under the sun; how much soever he labor to search it out, yet shall he not comprehend it; yea, though a wise man resolve to know it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.
