Ecclesiastes 9
1 But all this I have laid to my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred does man know, the whole [is] before them.
我將這一切事放在心上，詳細考究，就知道義人和智慧人，並他們的作為都在上帝手中；或是愛，或是恨，都在他們的前面，人不能知道。
2 The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.
凡臨到眾人的事都是一樣：義人和惡人都遭遇一樣的事；好人，潔淨人和不潔淨人，獻祭的與不獻祭的，也是一樣。好人如何，罪人也如何；起誓的如何，怕起誓的也如何。
3 This [is] an evil among all that has been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it—to the dead.
在日光之下所行的一切事上有一件禍患，就是眾人所遭遇的都是一樣，並且世人的心充滿了惡；活着的時候心裏狂妄，後來就歸死人那裏去了。
4 But [to] him who is joined to all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the dead lion.
與一切活人相連的，那人還有指望，因為活着的狗比死了的獅子更強。
5 For the living know that they die, and the dead do not know anything, and there is no more reward to them, for their remembrance has been forgotten.
活着的人知道必死；死了的人毫無所知，也不再得賞賜；他們的名無人記念。
6 Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, has already perished, and they have no more portion for all time in all that has been done under the sun.
他們的愛，他們的恨，他們的嫉妒，早都消滅了。在日光之下所行的一切事上，他們永不再有分了。
7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for already has God been pleased with your works.
你只管去歡歡喜喜吃你的飯，心中快樂喝你的酒，因為上帝已經悅納你的作為。
8 At all times let your garments be white, and do not let oil be lacking on your head.
你的衣服當時常潔白，你頭上也不要缺少膏油。
9 See life with the wife whom you have loved, all the days of the life of your vanity, that He has given to you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, for it [is] your portion in life, even of your labor that you are laboring at under the sun.
在你一生虛空的年日，就是上帝賜你在日光之下虛空的年日，當同你所愛的妻，快活度日，因為那是你生前在日光之下勞碌的事上所得的分。
10 All that your hand finds to do, with your power do, for there is no work, and plan, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol to where you are going. (Sheol h7585)
凡你手所當做的事要盡力去做；因為在你所必去的陰間沒有工作，沒有謀算，沒有知識，也沒有智慧。 (Sheol h7585)
11 I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skillful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.
我又轉念：見日光之下，快跑的未必能贏；力戰的未必得勝；智慧的未必得糧食；明哲的未必得資財；靈巧的未必得喜悅。所臨到眾人的是在乎當時的機會。
12 For even man does not know his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, the sons of man are snared like these at an evil time when it falls on them suddenly.
原來人也不知道自己的定期。魚被惡網圈住，鳥被網羅捉住，禍患忽然臨到的時候，世人陷在其中也是如此。
13 This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.
我見日光之下有一樣智慧，據我看乃是廣大，
14 A little city, and few men in it, and a great king has come to it, and has surrounded it, and has built against it great bulwarks;
就是有一小城，其中的人數稀少，有大君王來攻擊，修築營壘，將城圍困。
15 and there has been found in it a poor wise man, and he has delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!
城中有一個貧窮的智慧人，他用智慧救了那城，卻沒有人記念那窮人。
16 And I said, “Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.”
我就說，智慧勝過勇力；然而那貧窮人的智慧被人藐視，他的話也無人聽從。
17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.
寧可在安靜之中聽智慧人的言語，不聽掌管愚昧人的喊聲。
18 Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroys much good!
智慧勝過打仗的兵器；但一個罪人能敗壞許多善事。
