Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure — but it was to no purpose.
我心裏說：「來吧，我以喜樂試試你，你好享福！」誰知，這也是虛空。
2 Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy — What use is it?
我指嬉笑說：「這是狂妄。」論喜樂說：「有何功效呢？」
3 I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.
我心裏察究，如何用酒使我肉體舒暢，我心卻仍以智慧引導我；又如何持住愚昧，等我看明世人，在天下一生當行何事為美。
4 I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
我為自己動大工程，建造房屋，栽種葡萄園，
5 I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
修造園囿，在其中栽種各樣果木樹；
6 I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
挖造水池，用以澆灌嫩小的樹木。
7 I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
我買了僕婢，也有生在家中的僕婢；又有許多牛群羊群，勝過以前在耶路撒冷眾人所有的。
8 I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men — girls of all sorts to be my brides.
我又為自己積蓄金銀和君王的財寶，並各省的財寶；又得唱歌的男女和世人所喜愛的物，並許多的妃嬪。
9 And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
這樣，我就日見昌盛，勝過以前在耶路撒冷的眾人。我的智慧仍然存留。
10 And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.
凡我眼所求的，我沒有留下不給它的；我心所樂的，我沒有禁止不享受的；因我的心為我一切所勞碌的快樂，這就是我從勞碌中所得的分。
11 Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
後來，我察看我手所經營的一切事和我勞碌所成的功。誰知都是虛空，都是捕風；在日光之下毫無益處。
12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
我轉念觀看智慧、狂妄，和愚昧。在王以後而來的人還能做甚麼呢？也不過行早先所行的就是了。
13 Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways — as the light is better than the dark.
我便看出智慧勝過愚昧，如同光明勝過黑暗。
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.
智慧人的眼目光明，愚昧人在黑暗裏行。我卻看明有一件事，這兩等人都必遇見。
15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
我就心裏說：「愚昧人所遇見的，我也必遇見，我為何更有智慧呢？」我心裏說，這也是虛空。
16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!
智慧人和愚昧人一樣，永遠無人記念，因為日後都被忘記；可歎智慧人死亡，與愚昧人無異。
17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
我所以恨惡生命；因為在日光之下所行的事我都以為煩惱，都是虛空，都是捕風。
18 Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.
我恨惡一切的勞碌，就是我在日光之下的勞碌，因為我得來的必留給我以後的人。
19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.
那人是智慧是愚昧，誰能知道？他竟要管理我勞碌所得的，就是我在日光之下用智慧所得的。這也是虛空。
20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.
故此，我轉想我在日光之下所勞碌的一切工作，心便絕望。
21 Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.
因為有人用智慧、知識、靈巧所勞碌得來的，卻要留給未曾勞碌的人為分。這也是虛空，也是大患。
22 What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?
人在日光之下勞碌累心，在他一切的勞碌上得着甚麼呢？
23 All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
因為他日日憂慮，他的勞苦成為愁煩，連夜間心也不安。這也是虛空。
24 There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.
人莫強如吃喝，且在勞碌中享福，我看這也是出於上帝的手。
25 Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
論到吃用、享福，誰能勝過我呢？
26 To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
上帝喜悅誰，就給誰智慧、知識，和喜樂；惟有罪人，上帝使他勞苦，叫他將所收聚的、所堆積的歸給上帝所喜悅的人。這也是虛空，也是捕風。
