Ecclesiastes 5
1 Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God, and draw near, so that you may listen. For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish, who do not know the evil that they are doing.
你往天主的殿裏去時，要小心邁步；你前去聽道，勝過愚人獻祭，因為他們只知作惡。
2 You should not speak anything rashly, nor should your heart be hasty to present a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth. For this reason, let your words be few.
你不要在天主前冒然開口，你的心也不要急於發言應許，因為天主在天上，你在地下，為此你說話應當簡單。
3 Dreams follow many worries, and in many words foolishness will be found.
因為夜夢由於事務繁雜，亂語出於多言。
4 If you have vowed anything to God, you should not delay to repay it. And whatever you have vowed, render it. But an unfaithful and foolish promise displeases him.
你一向天主許願，就不可拖延償還，因為他不喜歡人怠慢；你許了願，就應速還；
5 And it is much better not to make a vow, than, after a vow, not to fulfill what was promised.
不許願好過許而不還。
6 You should not use your mouth so as to cause your flesh to sin. And you should not say, in the sight of an Angel, “There is no Providence.” For God, being angry at your words, may scatter all the works of your hands.
不要放任你的口，使你陷於罪過，免得你在使者前說是「錯許了。」為何要天主因你這句話而發怒，破壞你手中的工作﹖
7 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities and innumerable words. Yet truly, you must fear God.
多夢多虛幻，多言多糊塗；你要敬畏天主。
8 If you see false accusations against the indigent, and violent judgments, and subverted justice in the government, do not be surprised over this situation. For those in high places have others who are higher, and there are still others, more eminent, over these.
你若在某省看見欺壓窮人，違犯公道和正義的事，不必對此驚奇，因為高者之上還有更高者在上鑒察，而他們之上還有更高者。
9 But finally, there is the King who rules over the entire earth, which is subject to him.
國家全面的利益，在乎有一位關心農業的君王。
10 A greedy man will not be satisfied by money. And whoever loves wealth will reap no fruit from it. Therefore, this, too, is emptiness.
愛錢的，錢不能使他滿足；愛財的，進益不能使他滿足：這也是空虛。
11 Where there are many riches, there will also be many to consume these things. And how does it benefit the one who possesses, except that he discerns the wealth with his own eyes?
錢財增多，消費的人也隨之增多；財主除飽享眼福外，能有什麼益處﹖
12 Sleep is sweet to one who works, whether he consumes little or much. But the satiation of a wealthy man will not permit him to sleep.
工人不論吃多吃少，總睡得甘甜；飽食的富人，卻難於安眠。
13 There is even another most burdensome infirmity, which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept to the harm of the owner.
我看見在太陽下有一件慘痛的事：財主積蓄財富，反而害了自己。
14 For they are lost in a most grievous affliction. He has produced a son, who will be in the utmost destitution.
生意一次失敗，財產盡失：生了個兒子，手中一無所有。
15 Just as he went forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and he shall take nothing with him from his labors.
他赤身出離母胎，也照樣赤身歸去；他勞力之所得，絲毫不能帶去。
16 It is an utterly miserable infirmity that, in the same manner as he has arrived, so shall he return. How then does it benefit him, since he has labored for the wind?
這也是一件慘痛的事：他怎樣來，也怎樣去；他操勞追風，究有什麼益處；
17 All the days of his life he consumes: in darkness, and with many worries, and in distress as well as sadness.
況且他一生在黑暗中生活，遭受許多煩惱、疾病和悲憤的事。
18 And so, this has seemed good to me: that a person should eat and drink, and should enjoy the fruits of his labor, in which he has toiled under the sun, for the number of the days of his life that God has given him. For this is his portion.
我所認為幸福美滿的事，是人在天主所賞的少數歲月內，有吃有喝，且享受他在太陽下一切勞碌所得的福樂，這原是他應得的一分。
19 And this is a gift from God: that every man to whom God has given wealth and resources, and to whom he has granted the ability to consume these, may enjoy his portion, and may find joy in his labors.
的確，天主賞賜人財產和富裕，叫他能享用；能取得應有的一分，能享受勞碌所得的快樂，實是天主的恩賜。
20 And then he will not fully remember the days of his life, because God occupies his heart with delights.
那麼，人就不甚顧慮人生歲月的短促，因為天主以喜樂充滿了他的心。
