Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:

你趁着年幼、衰敗的日子尚未來到，就是你所說，我毫無喜樂的那些年日未曾臨近之先，當記念造你的主。

2 Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain:

不要等到日頭、光明、月亮、星宿變為黑暗，雨後雲彩反回，

3 When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:

看守房屋的發顫，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，從窗戶往外看的都昏暗；

4 And they shall shut the doors in the street, when the grinder’s voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf.

街門關閉，推磨的響聲微小，雀鳥一叫，人就起來，唱歌的女子也都衰微。

5 And they shall fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way, the almond tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper tree shall be destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street.

人怕高處，路上有驚慌，杏樹開花，蚱蜢成為重擔，人所願的也都廢掉；因為人歸他永遠的家，弔喪的在街上往來。

6 Before the silver cord be broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern,

銀鍊折斷，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁損壞，水輪在井口破爛，

7 And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.

塵土仍歸於地，靈仍歸於賜靈的上帝。

8 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity.

傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。」

9 And whereas Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and declared the things that he had done: and seeking out, he set forth many parables.

再者，傳道者因有智慧，仍將知識教訓眾人；又默想，又考查，又陳說許多箴言。

10 He sought profitable words, and wrote words most right, and full of truth.

傳道者專心尋求可喜悅的言語，是憑正直寫的誠實話。

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in, which by the counsel of masters are given from one shepherd.

智慧人的言語好像刺棍；會中之師的言語又像釘穩的釘子，都是一個牧者所賜的。

12 More than these, my son, require not. Of making many books there is no end: and much study is an affliction of the flesh.

我兒，還有一層，你當受勸戒：著書多，沒有窮盡；讀書多，身體疲倦。

13 Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is all man:

這些事都已聽見了，總意就是：敬畏上帝，謹守他的誡命，這是人所當盡的本分。

14 And all things that are done, God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil.

因為人所做的事，連一切隱藏的事，無論是善是惡，上帝都必審問。