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 get, 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 of war, and a time of peace.
愛慕有時，憎恨有時；作戰有時，和睦有時。
9 What profit has he that works in that wherein he labors?
工作的人，從勞苦中得了什麼利益﹖
10 I have seen the travail, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
我觀察了天主交予人類所應從事的事務，得知：
11 He has made every thing beautiful in his time: also he has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning 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 no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
於是我明瞭：人類的幸福，只有在此生歡樂享受；
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it 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, whatever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does 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 has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.
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 the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity 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, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: 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 concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are 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 befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man has no preeminence 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 to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
都同歸於一處；既都出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。
21 Who knows the spirit of man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast that goes 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 Why I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own 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﹖
