Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.
良好的聲譽勝於名貴的香液；死日勝於生日。
2 [It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
往居喪的家去，勝於往宴會的家去，因為喪事是人人的結局，活人應將此事放在心上。
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
悲哀勝於歡笑，因為愁容能使心靈舒暢。
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
智者的心是在居喪的家中，愚人的心是在歡笑的家中。
5 [It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
聽智者斥責，勝過聽愚人歌唱。
6 As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.
愚人的歡笑，就像斧底荊棘的爆炸聲，但這也是空虛。
7 for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
實在，壓榨使智者昏愚，賄賂能敗壞人心。
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.
事情的結局勝過事情的開端；居心寬容，勝過存心傲慢。
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
你心裏不要輕易動怒，因為憤怒只停留在愚人胸中。
10 Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
你不要問：「為什麼昔日勝於今日﹖」因為這樣的詰問，不是出於智慧。
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.
智慧與家產都好，對看見天日的人都有益，
12 For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
因為受智慧的蔭庇與受金錢的蔭庇無異；但認識智慧的好處，是在於智慧賦與有智慧者生命。
13 Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
你應觀察天主的作為：他所彎曲的，誰能使之正直﹖
14 In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.
幸福之日，你應歡樂，不幸之日，你應思慮：幸與不幸，都是天主所為；其目的是叫人不能察覺自己將來的事。
15 I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
在我虛度的歲月內，我見了許多事：義人在正義中夭亡，惡人在邪惡中反而長壽。
16 Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest thou be confounded.
不要過於正義，也不要自作聰明，免得自趨滅亡。
17 Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest thou shouldest die before thy time.
不要作惡無度，也不要糊塗太甚，免得你死非其時。
18 It is well for thee to hold fast by this; also by this defile not thine hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].
你的手最好把持這個，也不要放棄那個，因為敬畏天主的人，二者兼顧並重。
19 Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
智慧使智者的權勢，勝過本城十個有權勢的人。
20 For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin
世上沒有一個只行善，而不犯罪的義人。
21 Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
你不要傾心去聽人說的一切閒話，免得你聽到你的僕人詛咒你；
22 For many times he shall trespass against thee, and repeatedly shall he afflict thine heart; for thus also hast thou cursed others.
因為你心裏知道，你許多次也詛咒過別人。
23 All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
這一切我都用智慧追究過；我宣稱我將成個智者，然而智慧仍離我很遠。
24 [That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?
所有的事，既深遠，又玄奧，誰能窮究﹖
25 I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.
我又專心致力於認識、考察事物，尋求智慧和事理，得知邪惡就是昏愚，昏愚就是狂妄。
26 And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
我發覺女人比死亡還苦，她一身是羅網：她的心是陷阱，她的手是鎖鏈；凡博天主歡心的，必逃避她；但罪人卻被她纏住。
27 Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,
訓道者說：看，這是我所發現的，一一加以比較，好探知事物的原理，
28 which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.
對此我的心還在追求，但尚未找到：在一千男人中，我發現了一個；在所有的女人中，卻沒有發現一個。
29 But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
我發現的只有這一件事：天主造人原很正直，但人卻發明了許多詭計。
