Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious ointments: and the day of death than the day of one’s 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 the house of feasting: for in that we are put in mind of the end of all, and the living thinketh what is to come.
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 Anger is better than laughter: because by the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is corrected.
悲哀勝於歡笑，因為愁容能使心靈舒暢。
4 The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is 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 be rebuked by a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattery of fools.
聽智者斥責，勝過聽愚人歌唱。
6 For as the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: now this also is vanity.
愚人的歡笑，就像斧底荊棘的爆炸聲，但這也是空虛。
7 Oppression troubleth the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his heart.
實在，壓榨使智者昏愚，賄賂能敗壞人心。
8 Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous.
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 quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.
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 thinkest thou is the cause that former times were better than they are now? for this manner of question is foolish.
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 with riches is more profitable, and bringeth more advantage 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 as wisdom is a defence, so money is a defence: but learning and wisdom excel in this, that they give life to him that possesseth them.
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 Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.
你應觀察天主的作為：他所彎曲的，誰能使之正直﹖
14 In the good day enjoy good things, and beware beforehand of the evil day: for God hath made both the one and the other, that man may not find against him any just complaint.
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 These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time 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 over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.
不要過於正義，也不要自作聰明，免得自趨滅亡。
17 Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest thou 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 good that thou shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.
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 hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of 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 no just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.
世上沒有一個只行善，而不犯罪的義人。
21 But do not apply thy heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant reviling 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 thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others.
因為你心裏知道，你許多次也詛咒過別人。
23 I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther 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 Much more than it was: it is a great depth, who shall find it out?
所有的事，既深遠，又玄奧，誰能窮究﹖
25 I have surveyed all things with my mind, to know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason: and to know the wickedness of the fool, and the error of the imprudent:
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 have found a woman more bitter than death, who is the hunter’s snare, and her heart is a net, and her hands are bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her: but he that is a 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 Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might 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 yet my soul seeketh, and I have not found it. One man among a thousand I have found, a woman among them all 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 Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? and who hath known the resolution of the word?
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。
