Ecclesiastes 3
1 To all things there is a time, and a season for every matter under heaven.
事事有時節，天下任何事皆有定時：
2 A time of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been 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 pull 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 lament, and a time to dance;
哭有時，笑有時，哀悼有時，舞蹈有時；
5 a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain 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 be silent, 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 advantage [has] he that works in those things wherein he labors?
工作的人，從勞苦中得了什麼利益﹖
10 I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.
我觀察了天主交予人類所應從事的事務，得知：
11 All the things which he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the whole world in their heart, that man might not find out the work which God has wrought 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 no good in them, except [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 Also [in the case of] every man who shall eat and drink, and see good in all his labor, [this] is a 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 things God has done, they shall be for ever: it is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to take away from it: and God has done [it], that [men] may 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 whatever things [are appointed] to be have already been; and God will seek out 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, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one.
我在太陽下還看見：正義之處有不義，公平之處有不平。
17 And I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the ungodly: for there is a time there for every action 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 speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to show that they are breasts.
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 Also to them is the event of the sons of man, and the event of the brute; one event befalls them: as is the death of the one, so also the death of the other; and there is one breath to all: and what has the man more than the brute? nothing; 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 were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust.
都同歸於一處；既都出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。
21 And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it 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 And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which 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﹖
