Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.
我心里说：“来吧，我以喜乐试试你，你好享福！”谁知，这也是虚空。
2 Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
我指嬉笑说：“这是狂妄。”论喜乐说：“有何功效呢？”
3 I decided in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.
我心里察究，如何用酒使我肉体舒畅，我心却仍以智慧引导我；又如何持住愚昧，等我看明世人，在天下一生当行何事为美。
4 I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
我为自己动大工程，建造房屋，栽种葡萄园，
5 I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
修造园囿，在其中栽种各样果木树；
6 And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
挖造水池，用以浇灌嫩小的树木。
7 I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
我买了仆婢，也有生在家中的仆婢；又有许多牛群羊群，胜过以前在耶路撒冷众人所有的。
8 I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.
我又为自己积蓄金银和君王的财宝，并各省的财宝；又得唱歌的男女和世人所喜爱的物，并许多的妃嫔。
9 And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.
这样，我就日见昌盛，胜过以前在耶路撒冷的众人。我的智慧仍然存留。
10 And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.
凡我眼所求的，我没有留下不给它的；我心所乐的，我没有禁止不享受的；因我的心为我一切所劳碌的快乐，这就是我从劳碌中所得的分。
11 But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent under the sun.
后来，我察看我手所经营的一切事和我劳碌所成的功。谁知都是虚空，都是捕风；在日光之下毫无益处。
12 I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”
我转念观看智慧、狂妄，和愚昧。在王以后而来的人还能做什么呢？也不过行早先所行的就是了。
13 And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
我便看出智慧胜过愚昧，如同光明胜过黑暗。
14 The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
智慧人的眼目光明，愚昧人在黑暗里行。我却看明有一件事，这两等人都必遇见。
15 And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
我就心里说：“愚昧人所遇见的，我也必遇见，我为何更有智慧呢？”我心里说，这也是虚空。
16 For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
智慧人和愚昧人一样，永远无人记念，因为日后都被忘记；可叹智慧人死亡，与愚昧人无异。
17 And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.
我所以恨恶生命；因为在日光之下所行的事我都以为烦恼，都是虚空，都是捕风。
18 Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me,
我恨恶一切的劳碌，就是我在日光之下的劳碌，因为我得来的必留给我以后的人。
19 though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?
那人是智慧是愚昧，谁能知道？他竟要管理我劳碌所得的，就是我在日光之下用智慧所得的。这也是虚空。
20 Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.
故此，我转想我在日光之下所劳碌的一切工作，心便绝望。
21 For when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.
因为有人用智慧、知识、灵巧所劳碌得来的，却要留给未曾劳碌的人为分。这也是虚空，也是大患。
22 For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?
人在日光之下劳碌累心，在他一切的劳碌上得着什么呢？
23 All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?
因为他日日忧虑，他的劳苦成为愁烦，连夜间心也不安。这也是虚空。
24 Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And this is from the hand of God.
人莫强如吃喝，且在劳碌中享福，我看这也是出于 神的手。
25 So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
论到吃用、享福，谁能胜过我呢？
26 God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.
神喜悦谁，就给谁智慧、知识，和喜乐；惟有罪人， 神使他劳苦，叫他将所收聚的、所堆积的归给 神所喜悦的人。这也是虚空，也是捕风。
