Ecclesiastes 3
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
事事有時節，天下任何事皆有定時：
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
生有時，死有時，栽種有時，拔除栽種的亦有時；
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
殺戮有時，治療有時，拆毀有時，建築有時；
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
哭有時，笑有時，哀悼有時，舞蹈有時；
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
拋石有時，堆石有時；擁抱有時，戒避擁抱亦有時；
6 A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
尋找有時，遺失有時；保存有時，捨棄有時；
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
撕裂有時，縫綴有時；緘默有時，言談有時，
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
愛慕有時，憎恨有時；作戰有時，和睦有時。
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that he laboureth?
工作的人，從勞苦中得了什麼利益﹖
10 I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
我觀察了天主交予人類所應從事的事務，得知：
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.
天主所行的一切事宜，都很適時，並賜給人認識時事的經歷，但人仍不能明瞭，天主自始至終所做的工作。
12 I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to get pleasure so long as they live.
於是我明瞭：人類的幸福，只有在此生歡樂享受；
13 But also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy pleasure for all his labour, is the gift of God.
但人人有吃有喝，享受自己一切勞苦之所得，也是天主的恩賜。
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it; and God hath so made it, that men should fear before Him.
我知道：凡天主所行的事，永恒不變，無一可增，無一可減。天主這樣作，是為叫人敬畏他。
15 That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.
現今所有的，早已有過；將來所有有，先前已有過；因為天主必追尋已往的事。
16 And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
我在太陽下還看見：正義之處有不義，公平之處有不平。
17 I said in my heart: 'The righteous and the wicked God will judge; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.'
我心裏想天主必要審判義人和惡人，因為各種事情和行為，在天主那裏都有其定時。
18 I said in my heart: 'It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.'
我想，天主藉此是為使世人認清自己是誰，看清自己與走獸無異。
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.
的確，世人的命運，同走獸的命運，都是一樣：前者怎樣死，後者也怎樣死；氣息都一樣，人並不優於走獸：因為都是虛無。
20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust.
都同歸於一處；既都出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。
21 Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?
人的氣息是否向上高升，走獸的氣息是否下降地下，有誰知道﹖
22 Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
因此，我看出：人最好還是享受自己勞苦之所得，因為這是他的命運；有誰能領他去看自己身後的事呢﹖
