< Ecclesiastes 7 >
1 A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.
名譽強如美好的膏油;人死的日子勝過人生的日子。
2 [It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
往遭喪的家去, 強如往宴樂的家去; 因為死是眾人的結局, 活人也必將這事放在心上。
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
憂愁強如喜笑; 因為面帶愁容,終必使心喜樂。
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
智慧人的心在遭喪之家; 愚昧人的心在快樂之家。
5 [It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
聽智慧人的責備, 強如聽愚昧人的歌唱。
6 As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.
愚昧人的笑聲, 好像鍋下燒荊棘的爆聲; 這也是虛空。
7 for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
勒索使智慧人變為愚妄; 賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.
事情的終局強如事情的起頭; 存心忍耐的,勝過居心驕傲的。
9 Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
你不要心裏急躁惱怒, 因為惱怒存在愚昧人的懷中。
10 Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for you do not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
不要說: 先前的日子強過如今的日子, 是甚麼緣故呢? 你這樣問,不是出於智慧。
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.
智慧和產業並好, 而且見天日的人得智慧更為有益。
12 For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
因為智慧護庇人, 好像銀錢護庇人一樣。 惟獨智慧能保全智慧人的生命。 這就是知識的益處。
13 Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
你要察看上帝的作為; 因上帝使為曲的,誰能變為直呢?
14 In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.
遇亨通的日子你當喜樂;遭患難的日子你當思想;因為上帝使這兩樣並列,為的是叫人查不出身後有甚麼事。
15 I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
有義人行義,反致滅亡;有惡人行惡,倒享長壽。這都是我在虛度之日中所見過的。
16 Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest you be confounded.
不要行義過分,也不要過於自逞智慧,何必自取敗亡呢?
17 Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest you should die before your time.
不要行惡過分,也不要為人愚昧,何必不到期而死呢?
18 It is well for you to hold fast by this; also by this defile not your hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].
你持守這個為美,那個也不要鬆手;因為敬畏上帝的人,必從這兩樣出來。
19 Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
智慧使有智慧的人比城中十個官長更有能力。
20 For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin
時常行善而不犯罪的義人,世上實在沒有。
21 Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest you hear your servant cursing you.
人所說的一切話,你不要放在心上,恐怕聽見你的僕人咒詛你。
22 For many times he shall trespass against you, and repeatedly shall he afflict your heart; for thus also have you cursed others.
因為你心裏知道,自己也曾屢次咒詛別人。
23 All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
我曾用智慧試驗這一切事;我說,要得智慧,智慧卻離我遠。
24 [That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?
萬事之理,離我甚遠,而且最深,誰能測透呢?
25 I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.
我轉念,一心要知道,要考察,要尋求智慧和萬事的理由;又要知道邪惡為愚昧,愚昧為狂妄。
26 And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
我得知有等婦人比死還苦:她的心是網羅,手是鎖鍊。凡蒙上帝喜悅的人必能躲避她;有罪的人卻被她纏住了。
27 Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,
傳道者說:「看哪,一千男子中,我找到一個正直人,但眾女子中,沒有找到一個。」我將這事一一比較,要尋求其理,我心仍要尋找,卻未曾找到。
28 which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.
29 But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
我所找到的只有一件,就是上帝造人原是正直,但他們尋出許多巧計。