Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, “Pray, come, I try you with mirth, and look on gladness”; and behold, even it [is] vanity.
我心下自語：「來，試一試快樂，享受一下福樂! 」看，這也是空虛。
2 Of laughter I said, “Foolish!” And of mirth, “What [is] this it is doing?”
我稱歡笑為「瘋狂，」我對喜樂說：「這有何用﹖」
3 I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly until I see where this [is]—the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.
我遂決意喝酒以使我的肉身暢快，－－但我的心仍為智慧所引導，並決意迷於狂妄的事，直到我看清，世人在天下一生有限的歲月中所做的事，有什麼好處為止。
4 I made great my works, I built for myself houses, I planted for myself vineyards.
我於是擴大我的工程：為自己建造宮室，栽植葡萄園，
5 I made for myself gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.
開闢園囿，在其中栽植各種果樹，
6 I made for myself pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.
挖掘水池，以澆灌在生長中的樹木。
7 I acquired menservants, and maidservants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance—herd and flock—above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.
買了奴婢，還有在家中出世的僮僕，又有許多牛羊，多過我以前住在耶路撒冷的人。
8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for myself men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man—a wife and wives.
我還聚斂了大批金銀，及各王候各省份的財寶；擁有許多歌唱的男女，無數的嬪妃，以及人間所有的享受。
9 And I became great, and increased above everyone who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
我雖如此富有，超過以往住在耶路撒冷的人，但我仍沒有喪失智慧。
10 And all that my eyes asked I did not keep back from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this has been my portion, from all my labor,
凡我眼所希求的，我決不加以拒絕；凡我心所願享受的快樂，我決不加以阻止；因為我的心對我的一切勞苦工作，實在滿意；其實，這也是我由勞苦工作應得的報酬。
11 and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labor that I have labored to do, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!
但當我回顧我所作的一切工作，以及工作時所受的勞苦，看，一切都是空虛，都是追風；在太陽之下，毫無裨益。
12 And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who comes after the king? That which [is] already—they have done it!
我又回顧觀察智慧、瘋狂和昏愚；那繼位作君王的人能做什麼﹖只能做已做過的事。
13 And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.
我看透智慧勝於昏愚，像光明勝於黑暗。「
14 The wise—his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool is walking in darkness, and I also knew that one event happens with them all;
智者高瞻遠矚，愚者卻在黑暗中摸索。」但我也知道：二者都要遭遇同樣的命運。
15 and I said in my heart, “As it happens with the fool, it happens also with me, and why am I then more wise?” And I spoke in my heart, that also this [is] vanity:
我心中自問：「愚人的命運，我也會遇到，為什麼我要更明智﹖」我遂下結論說：「這也是空虛。」
16 That there is no remembrance to the wise—with the fool—for all time, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dies the wise? With the fool!
因為智者和愚者，同樣不為人常久記念，早晚有一天都要被人遺忘。可惜，智者和愚者同樣死去!
17 And I have hated life, for sad to me [is] the work that has been done under the sun, for the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
於是我惱恨生命，因為太陽之下所發生的事，無非使我煩惱，因為全是空虛，都是追風。
18 And I have hated all my labor that I labor at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.
我憎恨我在太陽下所受的勞苦，因為我要將勞苦所得，留給我的後人。
19 And who knows whether he is wise or foolish? Yet he rules over all my labor that I have labored at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! This [is] also vanity.
他是智是愚，有誰知道；但他一定要主管我在太陽下，以智慧所辛苦經營的一切工作：這也是空虛。
20 And I turned around to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor that I labored at under the sun.
我回顧我在太陽下所受的一切勞苦，就灰心失望。
21 For there is a man whose labor [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who has not labored therein he gives it—his portion! Even this [is] vanity and a great evil.
因為有人以智慧、學問和才幹勞作得來的，卻應留給那未曾勞作的人，作為產業：這也是空虛和大不幸。
22 For what has been to a man by all his labor, and by the thought of his heart that he labored at under the sun?
人在太陽下所受的一切勞苦，以及痛心的事，究竟有什麼裨益﹖
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart has not lain down; this [is] also vanity.
其實，人天天所有的事務，無非是悲苦和煩惱；而且夜裏，心也得不到安息：這也是空虛。
24 There is nothing good in a man who eats, and has drunk, and has shown his soul good in his labor. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God.
人除了吃喝和享受自己勞作之所得以外，別無更好的事。我也看透了：這是從天主手裏來的。
25 For who eats and who hurries out more than I?
因為離了天主，誰能有吃的，誰能有所享受﹖
26 For to a man who [is] good before Him, He has given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He has given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
天主原把智慧、學問和歡樂，賜給他所喜愛的人。至於罪人，天主將積蓄貯藏財物的勞苦加於他身上，好將一切財物留給天主所喜愛的人：這也是空虛，也是追風。
