Ecclesiastes 4
1 And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.
我又轉念，見日光之下所行的一切欺壓。看哪，受欺壓的流淚，且無人安慰；欺壓他們的有勢力，也無人安慰他們。
2 So my praise was for the dead who have gone to their death, more than for the living who still have life.
因此，我讚歎那早已死的死人，勝過那還活着的活人。
3 Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which is done under the sun.
並且我以為那未曾生的，就是未見過日光之下惡事的，比這兩等人更強。
4 And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
我又見人為一切的勞碌和各樣靈巧的工作就被鄰舍嫉妒。這也是虛空，也是捕風。
5 The foolish man, folding his hands, takes the flesh of his body for food.
愚昧人抱着手，吃自己的肉。
6 One hand full of rest is better than two hands full of trouble and desire for wind.
滿了一把，得享安靜，強如滿了兩把，勞碌捕風。
7 Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.
我又轉念，見日光之下有一件虛空的事：
8 It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.
有人孤單無二，無子無兄，竟勞碌不息，眼目也不以錢財為足。他說：「我勞勞碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福樂，到底是為誰呢？」這也是虛空，是極重的勞苦。
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their work.
兩個人總比一個人好，因為二人勞碌同得美好的果效。
10 And if one has a fall, the other will give him a hand; but unhappy is the man who is by himself, because he has no helper.
若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。
11 So again, if two are sleeping together they are warm, but how may one be warm by himself?
再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人獨睡怎能暖和呢？
12 And two attacked by one would be safe, and three cords twisted together are not quickly broken.
有人攻勝孤身一人，若有二人便能敵擋他；三股合成的繩子不容易折斷。
13 A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.
貧窮而有智慧的少年人勝過年老不肯納諫的愚昧王。
14 Because out of a prison the young man comes to be king, though by birth he was only a poor man in the kingdom.
這人是從監牢中出來作王，在他國中，生來原是貧窮的。
15 I saw all the living under the sun round the young man who was to be ruler in place of the king.
我見日光之下一切行動的活人都隨從那第二位，就是起來代替老王的少年人。
16 There was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
他所治理的眾人就是他的百姓，多得無數；在他後來的人尚且不喜悅他。這真是虛空，也是捕風。
