Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who [is] as the wise [man]? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
誰如智慧人呢？ 誰知道事情的解釋呢？ 人的智慧使他的臉發光， 並使他臉上的暴氣改變。
2 I [counsel thee] to keep the king’s commandment, and [that] in regard of the oath of God.
我勸你遵守王的命令；既指上帝起誓，理當如此。
3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
不要急躁離開王的面前，不要固執行惡，因為他凡事都隨自己的心意而行。
4 Where the word of a king [is, there is] power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
王的話本有權力，誰敢問他說「你做甚麼」呢？
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
凡遵守命令的，必不經歷禍患；智慧人的心能辨明時候和定理。
6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man [is] great upon him.
各樣事務成就都有時候和定理，因為人的苦難重壓在他身上。
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
他不知道將來的事，因為將來如何，誰能告訴他呢？
8 [There is] no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither [hath he] power in the day of death: and [there is] no discharge in [that] war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
無人有權力掌管生命，將生命留住；也無人有權力掌管死期；這場爭戰，無人能免；邪惡也不能救那好行邪惡的人。
9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: [there is] a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.
這一切我都見過，也專心查考日光之下所做的一切事。有時這人管轄那人，令人受害。
10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this [is] also vanity.
我見惡人埋葬，歸入墳墓；又見行正直事的離開聖地，在城中被人忘記。這也是虛空。
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
因為斷定罪名不立刻施刑，所以世人滿心作惡。
12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his [days] be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
罪人雖然作惡百次，倒享長久的年日；然而我準知道，敬畏上帝的，就是在他面前敬畏的人，終久必得福樂。
13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
惡人卻不得福樂，也不得長久的年日；這年日好像影兒，因他不敬畏上帝。
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just [men], unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked [men], to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also [is] vanity.
世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人所遭遇的，反照惡人所行的；又有惡人所遭遇的，反照義人所行的。我說，這也是虛空。
15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
我就稱讚快樂，原來人在日光之下，莫強如吃喝快樂；因為他在日光之下，上帝賜他一生的年日，要從勞碌中，時常享受所得的。
16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also [there is that] neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes: )
我專心求智慧，要看世上所做的事。（有晝夜不睡覺不合眼的。）
17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek [it] out, yet he shall not find [it; ] yea further; though a wise [man] think to know [it], yet shall he not be able to find [it].
我就看明上帝一切的作為，知道人查不出日光之下所做的事；任憑他費多少力尋查，都查不出來，就是智慧人雖想知道，也是查不出來。
