Ecclesiastes 5
1 Watch thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be near to hearken [to his will], more than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil [to themselves].
你往天主的殿裏去時，要小心邁步；你前去聽道，勝過愚人獻祭，因為他們只知作惡。
2 Suffer not thy mouth to be rash, and let thy heart not be hasty to utter any word before God; for God is in the heavens, and thou art upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few.
你不要在天主前冒然開口，你的心也不要急於發言應許，因為天主在天上，你在地下，為此你說話應當簡單。
3 For a dream cometh through being much employed [with something], and the voice of a fool cometh with a multitude of words.
因為夜夢由於事務繁雜，亂語出於多言。
4 When thou makest a vow unto God, do not delay to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in such fools: that which thou hast vowed must thou pay.
你一向天主許願，就不可拖延償還，因為他不喜歡人怠慢；你許了願，就應速還；
5 It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
不許願好過許而不還。
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy body to sin; and say thou not before the messenger, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry because of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
不要放任你的口，使你陷於罪過，免得你在使者前說是「錯許了。」為何要天主因你這句話而發怒，破壞你手中的工作﹖
7 For in the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but rather fear thou God.
多夢多虛幻，多言多糊塗；你要敬畏天主。
8 If thou see the oppression of the poor, and violence done to justice and righteousness in a province, do not feel astounded at the matter; for one that is high watcheth over the high; and over them, the highest Power.
你若在某省看見欺壓窮人，違犯公道和正義的事，不必對此驚奇，因為高者之上還有更高者在上鑒察，而他們之上還有更高者。
9 But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.
國家全面的利益，在乎有一位關心農業的君王。
10 He that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this is vanity.
愛錢的，錢不能使他滿足；愛財的，進益不能使他滿足：這也是空虛。
11 When prosperity increaseth, those that consume it [likewise] increase: and what advantage is there to its owner, saving to see [it] with his eyes?
錢財增多，消費的人也隨之增多；財主除飽享眼福外，能有什麼益處﹖
12 Sweet is the sleep of the laboring man, whether he eat little or much; but the overabundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
工人不論吃多吃少，總睡得甘甜；飽食的富人，卻難於安眠。
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely, ] riches reserved for their owner to his own hurt.
我看見在太陽下有一件慘痛的事：財主積蓄財富，反而害了自己。
14 And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:
生意一次失敗，財產盡失：生了個兒子，手中一無所有。
15 As he came forth out of his mother's womb, naked will he return to go as he came; and not the least will he carry off for his toil, which he might take away with him.
他赤身出離母胎，也照樣赤身歸去；他勞力之所得，絲毫不能帶去。
16 And also this is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so must he go: and what profit hath he that hath toiled for the wind?
這也是一件慘痛的事：他怎樣來，也怎樣去；他操勞追風，究有什麼益處；
17 All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.
況且他一生在黑暗中生活，遭受許多煩惱、疾病和悲憤的事。
18 Behold, what I have truly seen as a good thing, that it is fitting to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all one's toil that he taketh under the sun the number of the days of his life, which God hath given him; for this is his portion.
我所認為幸福美滿的事，是人在天主所賞的少數歲月內，有吃有喝，且享受他在太陽下一切勞碌所得的福樂，這原是他應得的一分。
19 Also every man to whom God hath given riches and property, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his toil— this is the gift of God.
的確，天主賞賜人財產和富裕，叫他能享用；能取得應有的一分，能享受勞碌所得的快樂，實是天主的恩賜。
20 Let him then remember, that the days of his life are not many, that God hath answered him with the joy of his heart.
那麼，人就不甚顧慮人生歲月的短促，因為天主以喜樂充滿了他的心。
